Titan's Shadow
by AuroranWings
Summary: Discontinued .Summary. The shadows of your past often come back to haunt you. This shadow called the Phantom decides to haunt the Titans. But why? Is this another story of trust, or do betrayals really do happen? .Chap. 14 up.
1. Chapter 1: Phantom of the Night

Here it is! My first Teen Titan's Fan Fic! Took me a bit to write the first chapter, but it's finally done! Yay! I hope you enjoy! My second chapter should be coming soon, it might take a bit... but no worries!

This first chapter may be a bit short, but don't worry, the others will be longer... P

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Teen Titans. If I did... they would actually sustain damage during their battles. xD

Please R &R!

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A black shadow slipped quietly into the back in the darkest hour of the night. It was silent and non-relenting in its quest for money and riches. 

Its long shadowy cloak billowed out behind itself, giving the illusion that the figure was taller than it really was.

It paused, and then turned its back against the light of a street-lamp, and cold grey eyes were seen before it quickly put on a pair of blue tinted glasses before continuing on its way.

Again, it stopped at the locked outer door of the large building, how it had gotten past the outer defenses no one knew. No one but itself. It grinned, and went _through _the front door, without a second glance.

"Awwww man! Look at this guys!" A green-skinned teenager complained loudly, holding the front page of the paper to a headline that read, 'MYSTERIOUS PHANTOM STRIKES AGAIN, FIRST NATIONAL BANK ROBBED,' with a large photo of the Phantom's eyes. (The only things that were distinguishable.) The changeling's name was Beast Boy, with the ability to change his spandex covered body into that of any animal he could think of.

A ruffled sigh was heard before a low and monotonous voice spoke up. "There's nothing we can do about it. All of us were busy at that time last night, fighting Cinderblock on the opposite side of town. So get over and PLEASE be quiet." Raven looked up from her book briefly before getting up and walking over to the counter of the main area of Titans Tower, brushing her pale blue hair from out of her face. She poured a cup of the herbal tea that she had been fixing and lifted it to her mouth, slowly breathing onto it, to cool the steaming cup.

Raven's temper had flared up unusally fast today, mostly because of the amount of damage she had taken during the last battle. It was hard enough healing herself, let alone knowing that you were healing yourself because of some stupid rock-with-a-brain had knocked with a telephone pole. Her magical and dark words had finally pierced the seemingly impervious armor of the walking rock, but not without sustaining some damage first.

"BB's got a point though! This 'phantom' guy has been able to outwit us everytime, even when we were actually trailing him! MAN! How does this guy get past us!" Cyborg's voice was loud and outraged, as a mechanized hand slammed down on a nearby counter.

A tragic accident long ago caused Cyborg's body to become part machine, most of his body a light blue computerized armour, the other parts of his body a milk-chocolate creamy colour.

"But my friends, why can we not find this thief and at least ask him to stop?" Starfire's voice was the most concerned out of the group. Her emerald eyes were littered with fear, anxiety, and strangely enough, happiness.

The Tameranean girl had come to Earth, sticking out like a sore thumb with her purple mini skirt and knee length boots. A metal collar fit around her neck and on the upper part of her back, covered by her red hair. She had stuck out quiteloudly - that is - until she joined the Titans.

Robin walked into the room, the large swishy doors closing with a final whoosh before he began, "I don't know who he is, but he's leaving a trail. He's traveling northward, at every place with possible riches, so the next place he's hitting is the Art Museum." His black cape flung dramatically out behind him as he walked, a little too cliché for his young age.

"Which one left?" Came the dry reply of Raven and Cyborg, while Beast Boy gave Robin an odd look.

Robin looked embarrassed, "Uhhh, right." Heitched at an unknown spot at the back of his head before continuing.

"The Art Museum of the Middle Ages." His voice grew serious again, leading the almost same response on the other Titans' faces. Except, of course, Starfire.

"Then that is where we will go to stop this thief!"The ever-bubbly teen yelped happily, and led the group out of the main room to the garage.

Something was different. The Phantom could smell it in the air. Something that had only happened once… Yes… Ever since Slade—No. I had told myself that never again would I think of the ways that Slade had deceived me, used my mysterious and monstrous ways and powers. He was my Master, and all I had to do was serve him.

I had slipped into the Middle Ages building, and looked for what I had been told to. Cautiously I padded through the halls of the ancient statues and figurines, paintings and oil canvases.

I stopped when I reached the canvas I had been searching for. I began to reach for the canvas, a picture of a midnight scene, stars twinkling and people in a field sitting and watching the stars, when my hand burned with the power of a real star, a starbolt.

"That's for paying customers ONLY to view. And I doubt you're one of those." Robin and the other Titans stood ready and at attention for battle.

Raven floated, unmoving in the air, her cape curled around her body like a hungry animal enraging.

Starfire floated in the air too, only her red hair was waving with the constant up and down movements she took, green starbolts bright and powerful in her hands.

Cyborg held his laser arm out, ready to shoot.

Beast Boy held a stance as though he would began boxing, a full arsenal of animals at his control.

And Robin, in the center of it all, his metal pole holding steadily in his hands.

I grinned maniacally, "So it would seem, Titans." I grinned, and stepped out of the shadows, "So it would seem."

"A GIRL?"


	2. Chapter 2: The First Battle

Yay! My second chapter! Much much larger than the first, hopefully to the enjoyment of many of you! I like this chapter, it tells you a lot more about Phantom... And more shall be revealed... Eventually... -chuckles at power she holds with her computer-

Anywho, please enjoy! R & R too! That'll be what gets me going with Chap. 3! ...Or if I get bored someday... P

**Disclaimer:** Keep reading! In the time reading this and knowing that there's no chance I could own anything relating to the Teen Titans, you could be on the third paragraph!

* * *

"A GIRL!" Were the shocked voices of Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy. 

"Ahhh! Dude! And she has cat ears! AND A CAT-TAIL! ...AND A TRENCH COAT!" Beast boy raged, his hands holding his head in utter confusion.

I chuckled, and swished my black cat tail with delight, "Bingo. You guys sure are smart!" My ears flicked in interest, poking out of my raven hair, and my tinted sunglasses glinted in the moonlight. My dark brown trench coat fitted out this arrangement nicely, covering my black body armour.

I grinned, continuing with my mocking. "Thaaaaaaaat's riiiiight..." I said in a singsong voice. "A **girl**, you sexist little jerks... And if you don't mind..." I muttered the last two parts, and grabbed the painting and put it into a pack I brought with me, and slung it over my shoulder, after quickly but gently wrapping it in a clean cloth.

Unbeknownst to me, at this action, Raven took note of it, and raised an eyebrow underneath her blue hood in perplex. Why would a thief want to preserve its bounty?

"All right! Let's get it on! Just to let you know, I won't take it easy on you just because you're a girl!" Cyborg opened his cannon arm up.

I rolled my ears, and my ears fell down to the side of my head in disdain. "Good. Otherwise I might've gotten bored."

"Titans! Go!" Robin shouted, as he pulled out his staff, Beast Boy morphed into a tiger, Raven murmured, "Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" and pulled a couple trashcans to her use. Starfire flew forward with everyone, more starbolts at hand, and Cyborg had his cannon at ready.

"Bring it," I muttered, and brought blue flames to surround my hands, which burnt not me but my opponents. I was completely focused, I could handle this battle. I had spent my entire time with _Him_ just to prepare for this.

I ran forward then stopped a distance away from the Titans, and grinned, my body engulfed in the blue flames.

The Titans all stopped, a clueless look upon their faces.

"What is she doing!" Cyborg asked, baffled.

"We can not allow her to do this! She is ending this fight by herself!" Starfire yelped.

"What the - " Raven began.

"What is going on?" Robin asked, clueless of my real plan.

"This girl is one strange chick..." Beast Boy murmured, back from his tiger form for a moment to scratch his head.

My grin doubled, and the flames completely engulfed me, and a bright light covered the hall.

-Narrator PoV-

The light faded, and the Titans were stunned to see that in the place of Phantom, a large, blue glowing panther, eyes a dangerous yellow, and its paws enwreathed in the same blue flames as the Phantom's hands were only moments before.

"DUDE! WHERE DID PHANTOM GO!" Beast Boy cried again, pointing at the large ghost cat - me, by the way.

"I'm not sure, but that thing still has the painting with it, so we have to fight it, no matter how freaky-looking it is!" Robin cried, twisting his staff and holding it at ready position.

_"Freaky looking? Oh I'm hurt!" _A familiar voice rang through out the hall of artifacts.

"What!" All the Titans called.

"Is that-" Raven began

_"Yes. It is me, Phantom, in my panther form. You shall all see more soon! AHAHAHAHAHA!" _The voice rang out from the panther, and it sprang forward, right through Cyborg' blast and through all the Titans to the other side.

"What the-" Cyborg was clueless.

The panther turned, and grinned, roaring, _"Fools! You can't attack a ghost! Just try and take down the mighty power of The Phantom!" _The panther roared again, and pounced on top of Cyborg, with the sound of smoking machinery filling the air, and sinking Cyborg into... the ground!

"Hey! What the" a baffled Cyborg said, his head only just sticking above the ground. He quickly found himself fuming, unbelievably frusterated at his helplessness.

"Take it down! Titans! Go!" Robin called, and the Titans attacked, Starfire blasting the creature with starbolts until she stopped, panting for breath.

"You shall not harm my friends!" She called to the giant cat.

_"Oh really? I'd like to see you say that after I've played with you!" _The panther leaped out of the smoke and its front paws rested on Starfire's shoulders for a moment, then she, too, began sinking down into the depths of the cement floor.

"Ah!" Starfire cried, her shoulders burning with the pain of flames, and as she sunk into the ground, as her arms were locked in the ground, unable to perform any starbolts.

"Starfire!" Robin cried, and he ran forward, striking the animal on the side, only to see his pole go straight the body of the ferocious cat. "What—" he began, only to be flung into a nearby wall by the force of the cat's giant sizzling blue flamed paws.

"Ugh..." Robin's head drooped, his eyes dazed and his shoulder smoking and burnt where the panther had caught him.

"Oh no! Robin!" Beast Boy morphed into a green male lion and went bounding up to the giant panther. The panther raised an eyebrow and grinned evilly, blue flames surrounding it once more as the flames died down and in the panther's place was a giant lion, identical to Beast Boy's only glowing blue and yellow eyes and blue flames remained.

"Yipe!" The BB Lion growled pitifully, ears lowering against his head and eyes dazzled in fear.

The Phantom's lion clawed him again and again, until he was forced back into his normal form. The Lion took hold of his collar of his shirt, and pulled him underground, and quickly returned, with Beast Boy's head above the ground like everyone else's.

"Awww man..." Beast boy's eyes were rolling, and his face was covered in different scratches and cuts from the lion.

The lion growled and faced Raven, quickly morphing from the lion back to the panther.

Raven's head looked to where Robin lay plastered against the wall, and where her other friends' heads were sticking up from floor. "Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" Raven's eyes glew black, and a raven's claw clamped itself around the panther's body, trapping it in midair.

The panther growled irritably for a moment, and writhed in pain as the raven's claw grew tighter and started to crush her lungs, then stopped, and looked straight into the eyes of Raven, and there; there Raven saw many things.

_**FLASH!** _

A girl, all alone, huddled in a corner of a dark room, lightning radiating her features in jagged, harsh light. The lightning lit up the child, her knees up against her chest, and her arms crossed over them. The girl had tears streaming down her face, and two black ears stuck out of her head, and a tail, matted and dirty, curled around her legs and her raggedy white dress. Her eyes were yellow and amber, like a cats', and were full of fear.

**FLASH!**

_The same girl, a little older, wearing a type of grey body armour a different section covering her arms, legs, chest, back, and hands. Several brown belts overlapped her waist, with different weapons inserted into each one. The girl had blue flames around her hands, and was battling men with silver masks, and black body suits. The girl cried with anger and rage as she attacked the growing number of soldiers. _

**FLASH!**

_The girl kneeled, one hand supporting her, sitting on the ground, the other laying against her upturned knee. She was the Phantom, the same one they were fighting now, only this was the look of obedience and humbleness upon her face. Her eyes were dull and empty, as she turned her face to look upwards at a man sitting atop a throne. Gears and mechanisms surrounded the two, and a single light shone upon the man on the throne. And that man was— _

**FLASH!**

_Phantom cried out in agony, her body surrounded by a bright ray of yellow light. And then stopped, her body stationary, scuffed and bruised, keeled over in the torturous pain she was in. She gasped for air, and suddenly got up, flames surrounding her hands, but was once again kicked down in the ribs by the same man that was on the throne. And that man was_

"Slade..." Raven murmured, awed and flabbergasted. She released Phantom, who landed, on all four feet, head near the ground near the ground and panting heavily for breath. After a few moments of both teens recovering from this, the panther looked up with her amber eyes, but there was something different inside them now. 

Sadness...? Remorse...? A cry for help...? Whatever it was, it was gone now, replaced by anger and rage.

_"GET OUT OF MY HEEEEEEEEEAD!" _The panther raged, and rammed Raven with her head into a wall.

The air raced out of Raven's lungs, and she let out a muffled, "Ooof..." before she was flung onto the ground by searing teeth in her shoulder.

Raven dazedly looked up at the cat, which was panting again, on the ground, watching her; knowing she was helpless. All of them were.

The panther took hold of Raven's cape, and, tiredly, pulled her underground so that everything below Raven's nose was underground, so she was unable to summon anything to her aid with her voice.

-Phantom Pov-

I looked up tiredly at the destruction I had done. All for that... that _man_, that _creature_, the one known so commonly as a monster. Slade.

I narrowed my eyes, and the same blue flames surrounded me and changed me back to my normal form with the dark brown trench coat.

That girl... I paused as I went over to pick up the pack with the painting in it. I looked over my shoulder at the half-conscious Titans, Raven included. She had... delved into my mind... and it hurt... It brought back horrible memories I never wanted to relive... Things I barely even remembered... until now. I flicked an ear at this thought. Weird.

I put the pack around my shoulder, as Slade's voice hissed in my ear, "I don't know what happened back there, Phantom. I lost contact with you for a few moments. But keep your act up. Or when you get back..." He stopped, enough for me to know what was to come if I didn't keep my tough girl act up.

I stopped, and stood up, and craned my head towards the skylight, full of stars and the half full moon.

_'Someday...' _I thought regrettably. _'Someday I will be released from your power Slade... and when that day comes...'_

My head came back down to level, and I straightened up a bit, and looked at the Titans. They were coming to, and Robin was starting to escape his imprint on the wall.

"Thanks for the play time Titans, but I gotta go." I grinned my now famous maniacal grin, and phased out, my power I had used to pass the Titans through the floor. The power to be 'feel through.' At least that's how I thought of it. Objects could pass through me, including laser beams and starbolts.

I defied gravity with my power and floated upwards, out if the skylight and out of the museum into the sky, away from the Titans and my only hope, and towards the man who held my future in the palm of his hands. Because I could not escape... from Slade.


	3. Chapter 3: Recap

Hey hey! Third chapter now up! This one's a bit shorter than the others, hope you guys don't mind! Oh yeah, just a bit of Raven & Robin coupling in here, but I won't say any more... I'm not sure if I like this chapter too much, so hopefully I'll be able to add Chapter Four soon!

**Disclaimer:** The only thing I own is, well read this: Phantom and this plotare copyrighted to me, and that's the only thing! Hah! -sticks out tongue-

So.. I think that's about it! Review when you're through!

* * *

"So, you've returned." Slade looked down upon me, kneeling and allowing my allegiance to be seen 

"Yes, Master." I responded, holding out the painting and bowing my head.

"Good. Very good Phantom." Slade took the canvas from my outstretched hand, and sat there, on his throne-like seat, inspecting it. "This will fetch a fair price for what I need."

"And what is that?" I asked, knowing I wouldn't get an answer.

"Actually I'm glad you asked Phantom. You will have a special role for my next plan to destroy the Titans." Slade chuckled slightly under his blackand amber mask.

"Your _next _plan?" I asked dryly, rolling my eyes.

"Silence!" Slade kicked me side swiftly, so fast I didn't have time to react. I cringed in pain, my rib cage already in agony from the battle with the Titans, more specifically that blasted Raven-girl. "You should learn to hold your tongue, girl." Slade pulled me close to his face by the collar of my coat.

I said nothing but tried not to flinch as he glared at me. Slade threw me away and I slid along the floor before slowing to a stop on my side. He came over and stepped forcefully on me, causing me to writhe in pain.

"Remember what I did to you, Phantom. And I can do it again. And again. And again. As many times as I need to." Slade's voice was more menacing than ever.

I shuddered, unwilling to face the pain, the horrible torture that always came.

"Yes, Master."

"Oooooh, my aching head..." Beast boy held his thumping head in his hands. His face was also covered in band-aids, and part of his side was wrapped up also, thanks to Phantom.

"Man, you're tellin' me! Do you know how long this it's gonna take to fix myself?" Silence greeted Cyborg's words.

"Dude, that didn't sound right —" Beast Boy began.

" - You know what I mean man!" Cyborg responded, minorly ticked off at him, and began to use a torch to mend his robotic arm where the panther had burned down the hardware.

"We are all broken and bent from that horrible, mean, destructable and devious N'nnith-Barag!" Starfire said, retreating into her own language and flying above the others. Her hands were clapsed by her face, which was expressed in an feeling of worry and hope.

"Yeah, but the question is HOW did that creature get us under ground?" Robin asked, serious as ever, his head and his shoulders bandaged also from the battle.

"Well, I dunno about you guys, but when that creepy cat creature took me under ground, I felt all weird, and jiggly and un-weight-ee. Like... Like..." Beast Boy's idea rambled off, and the other titans stared at their friend with an unreadable expression on their faces.

"...You know, like I didn't stop **ON** the ground as I normally did! That's it!" Beast Boy slammed a fist into an open palm, finally getting his train of thought. "Oh yeah, and I was see-through, too."

"...Yeah...Yeah, there was definatly that. Man, how'd we not see that before?" Cyborg asked, his voice a bit sheepish. he scratched the back of his head in a nonchalant manner.

"So... maybe her powers must be some result of an accident somehow... I'm thinking a lab incident or something..." Robin mused, thinking, desperately looking for a way he and his team could conquer this villain.

Raven had been absent from this meeting; she was lying alone in the hospital clinic since the battle. She had been the most wounded, and took the longest to get out of the ground. She had been half-conscious at the time, but kept muttering something about, 'Slade, wounds, past...' and so on and so forth. The others thought it strange, but decided it was smart not to press her on the matter, deciding to help first and inquire later.

Robin had found something in that, more serious thanwhat the other Titans thought, and thought that Raven had somehow connected with Phantom, the way her powers worked. Perhaps she had gone back in the mind of Phantom... figuring she had gone into a part of Phantom's past a long time ago.

Raven sighed and sat up in her bed, the same way she had seen the little Phantom in her first vision-type thing. She stared sadly out the window, and started to talk to herself, trying to figure everything out when the swooshy doors swished and Robin walked in, looking rather somber.

"Raven —" he began, but Raven cut him off.

"I know what you're thinking. And yes, I did see visions of Phantom. Four of them. And I'm trying to figure out what they all mean." Her face never changed when she said this, and Robin figured this was a good sign. She was able to control her emotions when she spoke about it, so he sighed a deep breath of relief and said rather cheerily, "I suppose you wouldn't mind telling myself and the others about them then?"

Raven paused, yes; her friends might be able to help with this little problem. So she half-smiled shyly at Robin and murmured, "Sure, that'd would be fine."

Robin grinned back and turned to the doors, which swished open and the rest of the Titans fell in - clearly they had been eavesdropping in on the conversation.

"Uhhhh, hey guys!" Beast Boy grinned rather embarrassed.

"Hello friends Robin and Raven! Perhaps, Raven, you would not mind telling us these 'visions' you speak of?" Starfire smiled nervously, revealing in her speech that they had been in fact eavesdropping, despite the frantic gestures from Beast Boy.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah; I agree with what those two said," Cyborg muttered angrily. "But would you two **PLEASE **get off me!" he called from underneath Beast Boy and Starfire.

"...Oh, yeah, sure dude!"

"My apologies Cyborg!"

"Ehh..." Cyborg muttered under his breath.

"Anyway, can we let Raven talk now? What she said sounded cool!" Beast Boy said, and led the other two over to Raven's bed.

"All right." Raven took a deep breath and started, "It began with a flash, and a small girl in a lightning lit room. She, I suspected, was a young Phantom. But she didn't look like she did now..."

"Now, Phantom. Are you ready for your next assignment?" Slade.

"Yes... Master." Yours truly.

"You'll need to go to Gotham City for this one. You'll know which building."

"Yes, Master."

"The trip should be short, and you won't be getting any annoying Titans visits, you took care of them last time."

"Yes, Master."

"Now go."

"Yes, Master."

I slid into the floor silkily and away from the lair, my heart heavy with thoughts that had never really occured to me before.


	4. Chapter 4: Cause and Effect

Fourth Chapter now up! Nothing new to say, so just read the Disclaimer and be on your way! )

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Teen Titans, nor the Lion King! ..You'll see what I mean by that.

* * *

I glared down at the stony weapons architecture, a hard look set in my grey eyes. I floated transparent above the city of Gotham, against a moonless sky. Just the way I liked it. I hated the light anyway. That's why I wore sunglasses in the light and you rarely found me outside during the day. 

It was a part of my genes, hating and repulsing the light.

I floated down into the building, and continued thinking to myself.

The genes that hated light were my ghost genes.

My parents said it was only a little lab experiment. They told me it may not be safe for me to stay in there, but I stuck around anyway. Blast it, if only I had listened to them...

My fist clenched in anger, and started padding my cat like feet though the tiny-halled company building, looking curiously at all the giant computers, lasers, and guns. Not to mention the parts needed to create them all.

"You know what you're looking for Phantom. Next hall on your left, then you can phase through wall there to find your prize." Slade's creepy voice murmured.

"Righto... Master..." I muttered, knowing with happy satisfaction he couldn't hear me, for once. This was my only way of freedom, stealing. I had actually started to enjoy it, but I couldn't let Slade know that.

I turned left and phased through as he told me to, and found myself facing a whole mass of armed guards, along with a couple tiny, for their size, tanks.

"Oh crap..." I muttered, and summoned the blue flames to surround my hands. I growled, showing my fierceness.

"Oh yes, did I forget to mention that? Sorry. But I'm sure you can handle it." Slade's voice sounded evilly pleased at the moment.

"Jerk..." I muttered irritably. "I thought you said I didn't have time for this, Master." I said irritably, turning on the connecting mike from myself to Slade.

"True, however I think you need some more training Phantom. You saw and felt yourself how good the Titans are getting, you could use this training." He laughed in my ear.

"Stupid git..." I muttered again, turning the mike off. "Now..." I turned and looked at the forces. "Let's see... about a hundred of them, and one of me." I grinned, and said gleefully, "Now that doesn't seem very fair to them!" I laughed once and morphed into a giant glowing blue tiger, grinning maliciously, and scaring the heebee-jeebees out of the guards in the front wave.

With a couple sweeps of my fire-ridden paw, I threw all them off and into random walls. I roared my approval of the odds, and started rampaging into their lines. Pathetic. They stood no chance.

After awhile of this, I grew bored, and actually started fighting, laughing with amusement when their faces grew baffled and confused as their tank's shots went right through me. Purring mockingly as their comrades fell, unconscious. Not too bad a job, though one guard did manage to nick me one the shoulder. Blast it, that hurt.

I was still part human.

Not too long after the last guard had fallen, Slade's voice returned to my ear, as I walked toward the pedestal that held the piece I was looking for.

"Clever, Phantom. Very clever. You thought you could trick me, deceive me, but I see through your little plan."

I stopped, my mouth half opened, dry as it could be, as I reached my hand out to grab the machinery piece, gleaming in the moonlight from a nearby skylight on top a silver podium type thing.

"All of these men are still alive."

I swallowed, then turned on the mike and putting the machine in my bag, responding, "Yes."

"Fix it." Came the impenetrable reply.

Here it came. The choice for right and wrong. What should I choose? If I chose the Wrong path, it would lead to the deaths of all these men, and their blood on my hands. They had familes, homes, rather-cruddy jobs (to be beaten down by me) but people that loved them. Unlike me. But the Right path, which would lead to torture and punishment when I got back 'home,' so either choice was bad. The torture that still haunted my un-blissfull dreams, the torture that was really the only weakness of me.

"Crap..." I muttered, my ear twitching in agitation. "Why me?" I said under my breath again, looking up through the skylight to the light night sky. Day would be here again soon, which led to even more bad news. Just another thing to add to my 'I Hate the World' list... (I started it about a year ago.)

"What did you say Phantom?"

"Nothing... Nothing..." I responded quickly. Another thing: I forgot to turn off the mike. Great. Just great.

"What will you choose Phantom?"

"I... I..." I began, thoughts and choices swirling around in my head, then they stopped, a vision of my long gone parents smiling and my mom holding a tiny bundle in her arms... me. I hadn't seen that face in such a long time... and yet... I knew which choice I should make.

"I'm coming back." I said triumphantly over the mike.

"What!" Slade paused, his voice harsh and angry, then continued, his voice even again, "Are you sure about that Phantom? It doesn't sound like the right choice to me."

"Well then it's a good thing you are me, then, is it, Slade?" I responded sarcastically, my voice dripping with contempt.

Silence followed my words, good; let him think over what I said.

"...Then you better come home Phantom. I'll be waiting."

A beep and a tiny bit of static let me know that he had turned off his mike and the video feed.

My ears flipped down into the humble position, and I stood there, alone, staring up into the sky, cursing under my breath silently and flipping my sunglasses on to the harsh glare of the moon.

Did I choose the right path? Did I? Or was the Right Path swayed from my vision long ago, before I even realized it? I thought I had always known it - I had thought I had kept my sanity, since the day that I... since forever I guess. I had never really thought about when my life with my family ended, and my life with Slade began.

It was them...

"Mom...? Dad...! Blast it! You said you'd always be there for me! ...But you're not..." My vision blurred, and I took my glasses off with my left hand and wiped my eyes with my right arm, "I don't cry. I never have, and I don't plan on starting anytime soon... It's just the stupid... fuzz... floating around building... Curses..."

I slumped against the podium, in the shadows of the stand, tears streaming down my face - my sunglasses skittered across the floor.

"How did it come to this...?" I asked to no one in particular... "To apprenticeship? To murder...?"

I screamed in pain and mental and physical torture, why me?

"You should really learn from your mistakes. Otherwise, you'll never be my true apprentice." Slade seemed to wait for my answer.

"I..." I could barely breathe, let alone talk. ...That scumbag, and he knew it too. "I... Never... Wanted... This..." I said, each word a stabbing knife in my side.

"Really? Slade bent down to me, a curled figure on the ground, scuffed, bruised, and hurt. "Then why did you ask?"

"No fair! Dude! We've searched this whole stinking city top to bottom like a MILLION times! And not a sniff, scratch, or mark left by Phantom!" Beast Boy complained loudly to the other titans.

"What exactly do you mean, 'mark?'" Raven asked dryly, her blue hood down, covering her shoulders, showing her pale skin and serious violet eyes.

"Nothing..." Beast Boy's green skin reddened, and he crossed his arms over his chest and skulked.

Ignoring the usual Raven/Beast Boy banter, Robin checked the monitors again. "I can't believe it..." he murmured, half to himself, half to the Titans.

"I know, BB was right!" Cyborg said in amazement, his robotic red eye flashing in astonishment.

"Yeah! ...Hey wait a minute —" B-Boy began.

" —I **mean**, There isn't a record of any girl of the name of Phantom, or fitting the description of the girl you saw in your visions Raven." Robin cut Beast Boy, finishing his statement.

Raven simply nodded.

"A thought has been circling in my head constantly, so I feel now I should share it with you." Starfire had a thoughtful look on her face, her normally pretty orange face screwed up in concentration.

"Go ahead Starfire." Robin replied.

"Well... It seemed that when Raven told us about the girl in her visions, the young Phantom we all presume, she had already had cat ears and a tail, correct? So it seems quite futile to try and search for her description like that because she had presumably already transformed, correct?"

The Titans nodded.

"Then perhaps we could try a search for the description of the room she was in...?" Starfire ended in a question, her face hopeful.

"Yeah... Starfire that might just work!" Robin sounded hopeful, turning to Raven he asked, "Could you give us a description of the room again Raven?"

"Ummm, sure." Raven paused, then smiled at Robin, who returned her grin.

"All right!" Beast Boy exclaimed happily, shooting a fist in the air, "Let's..." He turned into a panther, similar to the one Phantom was, "Go..." He acted dead, lying on the floor, "get that Phantom!"

* * *

Heh heh, there it is! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Did any of you notice the Lion King quote I put in there? Here's a hint: It was short... and only lasted one line. xD

I'm not sure what to do in Chapter 5 though... if you have any ideas, let me know in your review! I'm in sort of a slump... u.u''


	5. Chapter 5: Searches and Betrayals

First off, I must thank some of the awesome people who have reviewed and kept me going!

Sparkofimagination: I swear, I could've kissed you when I heard your review! ::showers with flower petals:: Simply genius ideas! n.n

Senagirl: Okay, okay, ya caught me. But it's not what you think! I swear, I had the actual powers of Phantom in my head before Danny Phantom came out. ((I still like the show, it's just now my idea doesn't seem so creative! :P))

Heh heh, but I really must thank everyone else for their wonderful reviews! You guys rock my sox! :D

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Teen Titans! If I did, Terra would be a statue made of poo and the Titans--

Phantom: --WOULD BOW DOWN TO THE AWESOME POWER OF PHANTOM! MUAHAHAHAHA!

Wingy: Oro? What the crap?! Phantom, you git, what're you doing here?

Phantom: ::shrug:: I wanted to help with the disclaimers...

Wingy: T.T Well, don't! I'll ask you next time!

Phantom: Fine... Jerk... S'not like I get enough of it with Slade and everything...

Wingy: ::comforting Phantom:: Ermmm, anywho, on with Chapter Five! Oh yes, and sorry about not indents... That option isn't workin' for me right not... o.O

* * *

The Titans were combing the city, becoming even more desperate for Phantom. 

"Where could she be...?" The question was running through everyones' head.

Starfire was flying through the city, calling out naively, "Phantom, oh Phantom, please come out! We wish to speak to you about many things!"

Cyborg was driving in the T-Car, stopping once in awhile to ask people if they had seen here, or had any information.

Beast Boy was currently a leaping green kangaroo, though he had been changing all night to best suit his purpose. "Dude, you guys don't think she's in the sewer, do you?"

"I'm not sure, why don't you go check?" Robin responded, grinning cheesily, from his position on his motorcycle.

"Veeeeery funny dude." Beast Boy frowned.

"Ha hah, just kidding Beast Boy."

"Yeah..."

Raven was the only one still at the Tower, with her usual job, checking on the Titans' positions from the living room. "Starfire, Beast Boy, you two are getting too close to each other, Starfire go a bit North, and Beast Boy go West."

"All right Raven!"

"Righto!"

After many hours of this though, all the Titans returned to the Tower to sleep, exhausted and shot, only to be reawakened by the sound of the Titan alarm.

"Titans, go!" Robin was instantly alert, running for the door.

"Awwwwwww, man! Can't we get a break?!" Beast Boy was dragged by the rest of the Titans unwillingly after.

* * *

"Ask? What are you talking about?! Aarghh!" I screamed in pain again as the shock of misery ran through my body.

"Simple, Phantom." Slade clutched my head in his right hand and dragged me slowly upwards; while I gasped for air from the way he was holding me.

"I'm surprised you don't remember it. You were so proud... so I recall." Slade laughed, an evil, menacing sound that made my blood run cold.

"What...?" I asked, my eyes unfocused and gauzed over.

"Heh heh heh, you really don't remember, do you?" Slade leaned closer in to me, his eye glistening with slyness.

"Urgh..." I muttered, trying to get out of his lock hold.

"What was that Phantom? I can't hear you." He mocked me.

"I... don't... know.... What... you're talking about!" I screamed, and thrashed my head backwards, landing a kick on the jaw of Slade, twisting out of his grip and landing a few feet away.

"So I suggest you stop speaking until you make sense." I hissed at the despicable man lying on the ground, breathing heavily, barely able to stand.

"You... Phantom. Are going to regret that." Slade got up, adjusting his jaw with a sickening crack, and looking into my eyes.

"I don't think so." I glared at him, and swayed slowly into my fighting stance."

"YEEEE-ARG!" Slade rushed towards me with sudden speed, and punched me swiftly in the stomach, sending me flying hard into a wall somewhat close by.

I coughed, drawing blood, a small trickle of it slipping down the side of my mouth as I fell from the impression I made.

"When I am through with you Phantom, you are going to wish you didn't have the ghost cells injected into you. You are going to crave it." Slade cracked his knuckles, and then ever so slowly walked to where I lay on the ground, unmoving.

"I... didn't... want... this..." I murmured, my head a daze.

Something inside of me snapped suddenly.

I got to my feet, wincing and swaying gently because of my injuries. "You're wrong."

"What was that?" Slade's voice was cold as ice, and on any other day I would have immediately submitted to him, allowing my full allegiance. But not today.

I started advancing on him, summoning all my energy to encompass my right hand, and Slade seemed to grin behind the enigmatic mask he wore, and started to sprint too.

We met in mid air, and for a moment I phased through, knocking him with my flamed fist as hard as I could muster.

We both touched the ground, Slade meeting it in a whole new manner.

"Sorry Slade." I turned to face him, he for once struggling to get up, "But we're through." I took the last of the flames and tore off the end of the left ear in which he had placed the tracking device on me.

Writhing slightly from the pain that suddenly seemed to consume and overthrow my body, and listening to the sound of the blood drip from my injured ear, ((after checking it still worked porperly)) I limped away, holding my side slowly into the shadows of the night.

* * *

Oooooh! ::gasp:: What will happen to Phantom...? ::mysterious voice:: n.n Liked my best ever cliff-hanger?! I did! Sorry it took me so long to finish it! Next Chappie comin' soon! R & R! 


	6. Chapter 6: So The Plot Thickens

Finally! My Sixth Chapter! I'm so glad! I never thought I'd get this far! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed! You guys kept me going! n.n But I would like to especially my -GOOD- friend Arty! I never could have gotten this far without ya hon! Thanks for always reviewing! If I didn't have you, I would have been stuck with Beet Boy! ((Everyone: Typo))

Beet Boy: Hey! What's wrong with me! I was a good idea! People shall beware my vegetable power! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! -chases strangers with beets-

Wingy: -glances at insane failed Superhero idea- Ermmm, right. Well today we have a special treat! The character reading my Disclaimer shall be... -drumroll- Raven!

Raven: ...Do I know you?

Wingy: -.-; -sigh- Work with me hon, or else I'll never give back your herbal tea.

Raven: O.o; Wingy does not own the Teen Titans. Just Phantom. -claws for Herbal Tea-

Wingy: -chuckles at power over characters- Here's the rest of the story!

* * *

The Titans stood outside an old abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. 

"So... that's the place that fit the description we searched for, huh?" Beast Boy raised an eyebrow and yawned. The Titans hadn't gotten much sleep over the past few days due to the lack of Phantom that had been coming up.

Or at least, that's how Beast Boy put it.

"Yes. Now please stop your pointless blathering, or I can't sense anything in there." Raven's hood was up, and only her eyes were visible as she glared at Beast Boy, who yelped at the look and hid behind Cyborg.

"I don't think you're gonna find anything in there Raven. My bio sense aren't picking anything alive up in there." Cyborg looked up from his left arm and glanced at Robin.

"Right." Robin spoke, his voice authorative, "Titans, go!"

The Titans started combing the building for anything suspicious, while Beast Boy, getting off task, started to stare at himself through the strange shaped glasses, making strange noises, only to have his head thwapped upon by a brick floating in the air thanks to Raven.

"OUCH!" Beast Boy sorely rubbed the back of his head. "What was that for, Raven?!"

"Focus Beast Boy. We're here to find clues about Phantom. THIS. ISN'T. A. FUN-HOUSE." Her eyes glowered red slightly.

------------------------

I slowly fluttered my eyes open, my mind still partly black and fuzzy.

"What the..." My eyes rolled, seeing a fuzzy image of sewage and a small light filtering from above. The smell was putrid, making me want to gag, with no help coming from the rotten taste of sewer water in my mouth.

I paused, closing my eyes and trying to remember what had happened, and why my body was in so much pain.

Then it all came rushing to me, the fight with Slade, the Titans, the horrible pain, the loss of control... and then my shredding of the bondage of Slade.

I gritted my teeth, slowly opening my eyes and looking around.

"Gah!" I spoke, my voice hoarse and harsh. The sun was shining through sewer grates above, and one large one beside me. They were both locked and rusty, and I realized I must have phased through them when I left Slade's hideout, though I remembered nothing of it.

I shuddered, revolting the brightness of the Sun, and started to scuttle backwards away from it, when a sharp pain shot through my body, I gasped in the pain.

I looked at myself and then deeply regretted I hadn't.

Slashes, cuts, and bruises covered me, and it was a wonder I had been able to drag myself to where I now lay. My left ear throbbed in pain, in the end where I had tore it off. I tenderly touched it, wincing at the sharp pain that attacked me.

"Dang..." I muttered, and sighed irritably, resting my head back against the curved wall of the Sewer.

I slowly and gingerly turned my head to look at my surroundings, seeing the rather large passage-way I was currently laying in led off into three separate forks, and I pouted, my right ear--the only thing not hurt—twitching irritably.

"I suppose I should wait awhile before I move..." I thought aloud to myself, then gingerly looked to into the light given by the large grated entrance, which I saw led the water inside the sewer into a grimy pathetic looking stream weaving its way through bushes and the underbrush. Luckily the bushes and small trees hid the entrance, which made me happy; that gave me some cover.

I turned my gaze upwards, to the grate above me, then quickly regretted that. The sunlight burned my eyes, and I squeezed them shut and kept them closed.

"Great... Just great. Would anything else like to happen to me to make my life miserable?!" I shouted, my eyes still fidgeting with pain.

A black machina floated by the entrance to the large grate, and I clamped my hand over my mouth, despite the pain shooting through it.

The Search Drone—what I concluded it to be—paused, turned this way and that, meanwhile I prayed that it wouldn't look my way. It looked at me.

I didn't move, didn't breathe, didn't let a hair on my whole body shift or move. These Drones belonged to Slade, and he was looking for me.

The Drone moved on.

I was silent for a moment, unmoving, just in case.

I finally let out a sigh of breath, then shuddered, since it caused my broken ribs a whole lot of pain. The shudder led to more torture, leading me to finally stop, and I let my eyes narrow, and I fell into the vile sewage water.

I laid on my belly, still partly leaning up against the curving walls, the water came to right below my nose. My eyes slowly released their pinched look and relaxed, I sighed and let the blackness of unconsciousness take over and let me sleep.

------------------------

Cyborg looked over his robotic arm, the sensor beeping, the only noise despite the shuffling of papers and the moving of test tubes and other giant machina.

The warehouse was much different than any of the Titans had expected. It was similar to something out of an old Frankenstein movie, full of beakers, old somewhat rotting papers, and giant recording machinas, electrical machina, electrical devices, all of which looked as if they hadn't been used in a good long time.

"BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP!" Cy's arm started going crazy. He glanced over it, and his eyes grew wide at what he saw. ((AN: Dued, his non-electrical eye grew wide. :) ))

"Yo guys, get over here! I think I found somethin'!" his voice echoed in the somewhat empty room.

"What is it Cyborg?" Robin asked, jogging up and careful not to shift or change anything.

The rest of the Titans glided, floated, and flew up to the two.

"They're foot-prints. Feline looking footprints. A couple of 'em. Not to mention some hairs. And I think you guys know who that means." He grinned grimly.

Robin leaned over, and took a picture of the footprints and gently picked the hairs up between two fingers and dropped them into a bag Robin had held out.

"Great." Robin held the bag in front of his face.

"With this, we'll be able to figure out the true identity of Phantom."

A few hours later all the Titans stood in the living room as the computer screen whizzed and buzzed. A beep went off as a mechanized voice said, "DNA match found. Identity of subject: Arianna Pawsone."

------------------------

I shook my head as I awoke when the half moon was high in the sky and its light shining across my still form.

"Perfect..." I said, grinning, the pain in my whole body still shaking me as I crawled up, my right arm clutching my ribcage while my left arm shakily holding myself up in a half bent position. My ears were held low, my tail drenched and was hanging limply in the slow moving water.

I shuffled slowly, deeper into the sewer; hoping whatever awaited me was better than the rest of my life.

* * *

That's all for now! Please R & R! :D 


	7. Chapter 7: Enter the Famous Trio

Well, here it is! The what, seventh, eighth chapter? I'm too lazy to check. Wait, no, it is the seventh. :P

I'm sorry it took me so long to update! School... yeah. Enough explanation. :D Hope ya like it! Please review when you're done! n.n

Disclaimer: Today here for the readings of the disclaimers are... Beast Boy! -cheer-

Beast Boy: Wingy doesn't own the Teen Titans. If she did, Terra wouldn't have slits for a nose, and she wouldn't look like a robot when stoned--HEY WAIT A MINUTE YOU JERK! HOW CAN YOU MAKE ME READ THIS?! TERRA'S **MY EX!**

Wingy: -sweatdrop-

Beast Boy: Grrr, now eat this tofu as punishment! -pokes tofu into Wingy's mouth-

Wingy: -gag- Please... review! O.o

* * *

The Titans stood, awestruck at what they had just heard. 

"Dude! Did we just..." Beast Boy was the first to speak

"Yes." Raven, speaking for everyone.

"But then..." Starfire began

"There's no way that it could be that easy." Cyborg shrugged, and leaned over the computer pedestal, hoping to get more information.

"Cyborg, we just found out who she was, we can--" Beast Boy began, but a mechanized voice cut him off.

"Arianna Pawsone.

Age: 15

Gender: Female.

Eyes: Blue

Hair Colour: Blonde

Other Family Members: Mother, age 38; Naomi Pawsone, Father age 40; Van Pawsone, Older sister, age 19; Lily Pawsone."

"Cy! What'd you do!? You BROKE IT!" Beast Boy outraged, as the computer stopped for a moment.

"Shut it BB, it's starting up again!" Cyborg responded, tapping a few more keys.

A whir and click was heard, and the computerized voice continued, giving an animation for each statement then heard. ((A/N: Use your imaginations people.))

"Employers: Both Mother and Father were employed as Molecular Scientists, working a join project by themselves and their family, constructing the research. Incorpeal Research."

"That means ghost." Robin spoke up, quickly and quietly to answer Beast Boy's coming question.

"The research has been going successfully, their goal to successfully infuse the essence of Incorpeal into that of a feline subject to construct a warrior of 'strength and skill.' So says Van Pawsone, speaker of the family. The project is to be completed within six months. In other news, the girl Arianna has won yet another award in her artistic and pianist skills. The rest of the family is very pleased with the result of their first daughter and hope to celebrate soon-"

Cyborg clicked a button, and the voice stopped. For the second time that night, the Titans stood, awestruck at what their ears had told them.

"No... way. There's no way that a project like that could be completed. I remember hearing about it on the TV once, but that was like... a long time ago." Robin furrowed his brow, trying to decipher what he had just heard.

"Maybe if we create a cross-section search, we could find some articles about her to find more information." Cyborg spoke, tapping the keys as he went.

The keys tapped loudly, the only sound in the large, normally comforting, and easy-going Titans' Tower.

A few moments later, a beep and a whirr informed the Titan's of a match being found.

"Bingo. Seems that there was this huge explosion at the lab, only the company kept the whole story hush-hush." Cyborg murmured to his teammates.

"Well, that makes sense, right guys? I mean, if I were this big company into fancy research and stuff, I wouldn't want the media messing around where their noses shouldn't be!" Beast Boy exclaimed, this being his biggest point of the day.

"Of course, but were there any survivors of this explosion?" Starfire mused aloud.

"Nope." Cyborg's words met silence in the room.

"But that doesn't make sense. I saw Arianna, or Phantom, whatever you want, in my visions. There's no way that those could be the memories of another. But there weren't any family, or anyone else inside the visions I saw. She was alone. All... alone." Raven spoke softly, as though her words would cause something horrible to happen.

"Maybe... remember her 'powers,' guys? Maybe the explosion messed with her, or maybe these two girls are completely different people." Robin's firm voice made the others feel safer.

Cyborg piped up, "Oh yeah, another thing. The name of the 'big company' that founded the research? The leader's name went by only... Slade."

"That means—"

An alarm rang out, the tower flashing with red lights and loud sounds.

"ALERT! ALERT! CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN THE NORTH SIDE OF TOWN. CRIMINAL IDENTIFICATION: SLADE."

------------...---------------

"Do these things ever end...?" Phantom mused aloud to herself, her voice echoing throughout the wide tunnels.

"Guess that answers my question..." She muttered, her right ear perking downwards revealing her reaction to this. She had decided to let her left ear relax for a bit, so it could heal faster.

That, and the fact it filled her whole head with pain whenever it moved.

She had tried phasing her right hand a little while ago, with no luck.

"Blasted..." Phantom slowly shuffled her way into a pipeline with two other exits. "Great. Just great. Would anything else horrible like to happen to me now?!"

A plop of dirty sewage water splashed down over her already drenched body, the repercussion Phantom hissing irritably like a cat, and shaking herself furiously to rid herself of the new water, which resulted in the pain washing itself over her body; again.

She collapsed against the rounded wall, sighing in agony and muttering, "No. I won't even say it. Why is it every time I say that something even worse happens?!"

She weakly got up, her left arm supporting her against the wall, and she slowly looked from left to right, and stepping gently, she edged herself towards and into the right passageway.

-------------Some two or three hours later...------------------

Phantom collapsed onto her knees, her back arched, her arms supporting herself, and her scraggly ebony hair halfway in the murky water. She was inside a large spherical chamber, and fell in complete and utter exhaustion.

Her sides ached, her arms killed, her left ear rang little bells inside her head every time it moved and her eyes were starting to loose their focus.

"Aww snap. I knew I should have grabbed something to eat before I left Slade's place..." Phantom chuckled, her teeth placed in awkward grin at this rather lame joke.

She sat in silence for a few moments, her thoughts scrambled inside her head.

_Who was she...?_

_Where did she come from...?_

_She couldn't have worked for Slade forever; right...?_

_And what did Slade mean when she asked to be his apprentice...?_

_Her mom... and dad... who were they, really?_

_Was she really sure she had a family...?_

_And even a past...?_

"Why does everything have to be so complicated?!" Phantom screamed out into the chamber, her voice echoing loudly, making her left ear wince because of the loud noise.

She froze suddenly, hearing other voices inside the sewers. No one else came into here, right? Unless they were Sewer workers, and no one came this far in; right? How far in was she anyway?

"Better hide, just in case..." Phantom murmured to herself, her eyes jerking side to side looking for a place to hide.

Her pale grey eyes settled on a small corridor; that would be perfect! Her small frame would easily squeeze into that space easily.

She shuffled across the circular space, holding her side and wincing at her quick movements. She lunged, and shoved herself into a small boxlike ermmm, box. It looked like a former vent used to transport water to this chamber.

'_Let's just hope its retired...'_ Phantom thought to herself as she pulled herself around to face whoever was coming from the chamber opposite from her. She had flattened herself into small a ball as possible, her ears low against her head and her tail curled against her legs.

"I tried that already snot-brain!" A rather familiar immature voice called out obnoxiously.

"Well then, fix it! You're good at that, remember?" A sly girlish voice snapped.

"Maybe you count on it too much! Let me smash them!" Boarish and brainless, as always.

Gizmo, Jinx, and Mammoth. How original. Phantom rolled her eyes.

Gizmo floated in on his backpack of horror, able to change itself into anything; as far as Phantom could tell. He held some sort of tracking device in his right hand, the machina beeping on and off.

Jinx meandered in afterwards, her face showed her reaction to the disgusting sewer water. Her pale face looked no different than it did above ground.

Mammoth lumbered in last, his large face looking confused, stupid, and irritated all at the same time. If that was even possible.

Gizmo held the small hand-held machina and sweeped it across the room, his eyes furious.

"Where is that booger-brain!? We've been searching for hours!" He raged.

"I still don't see why we just blast the place. Not like it would make any difference if it stood or not." Mammoth scratched his large head, a couple fleas leaping out to escape his raking hand.

"As much as I would love to do what the lug-head just mentioned, we can't." Jinx crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her fingers irritably across her arms. "Slade wants this girl alive. Why, I have no idea, nor do I care."

"Fine you pinheads. But this thing isn't working!" Gizmo shouted angrily.

Jinx opened her mouth to respond, "Maybe it's not the machine that's broken."

"Grr... buncha scrapping-mecha... booger..." Gizmo muttered, and crossed his arms over his chest, pouting. Then an evil grin lit up his face, as the pad started to beep loudly.

Phantom's eyes grew wide, and she opened her mouth in a silent gasp. _No, not now, please not now! Not now of all things!_ She thought in exasperation.

The trio turned to look at the spot where Phantom lay, huddled in fear, each with an individual grin across their faces.

She had been found.

* * *

Again, sorry it took me so long to post this new chappie! School has been taking my once oozing brain of creativity to mush! n.n; I hope you guys liked this one! Took me about an hour to finish it... had about one page filled up before I crammed and finished this chappie. n.n 

Please R&R!


	8. Chapter 8: It's Electric!

Okie-dokies people! Here we go, chapter eight! Sheesh, that's a big number! xD At least for me.. Eh. Anywho, thanks /SO/ much to all of you who have been reviewing since chapter one! (( More or less, c'mon, work with me people! :P )) Please stay tuned for the chappie right now, hopefully I will get nine up soon! n.n;

Disclaimer: If I owned the Titans, there would be an actual bridge for the T-Cycle and the T-Car to get from their small and deserted island of 'T's' to the city. Trust me, there isn't one now. o.O

* * *

'_What'll I do, if I stay here, I'm dead. If I try to move, I'm dead. And if I try to phase through and escape, the pain from my wounds would probably kill me eventually._' I sighed, though quietly; perhaps the trio hadn't seen me yet. '_Great. Just great. Did I mention I hated my life? No? Well take a guess at the question._' I bore my teeth, hissing slightly, then wincing at the sharp intake of air to my damaged rib cage.

My name's Phantom by the way. And currently, my life stunk on ice. Or, fire, more precisely, I minorly controlled that element. Experiments my parents had done while I was a child. Or, actually, I had been caught in the explosion of the experiment that had been taking place while I was in the lab, despite my parents' warnings. That's as much as I remembered. The rest was all hazy, until Slade came into my life. I started my training for the wicked creature—for I hardly considered him a man—at a small age. When I was reaching the end of my apprenticeship, I was a master thief and... murderer. Countless lives had been taken from their holders because of my claws and flames.

But none of that mattered now since I had met the Teen Titans. They had been relatively easy to beat, no biggie. Until I had fought that Raven girl. She had unlocked memories of my past that I had forgotten long ago. It had changed everything. And so I had fought my former master, Slade, which hadn't been easy by the way. Try fighting and defeating a guy that had taught you basically everything you knew. Yeah. It was hard. And so I had ran away, missing the last part of my left ear, which had been torn away because of the everlasting tracking device located inside it. And now you get to see my ever-so-glamorous life about to end. By three circus freaks who somehow lost their way to the costume shop. Oh how the mighty have fallen...

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty. Come on out and play. If you come quietly we won't hurt you; much." A nasty laugh followed Jinx's words.

"Stupid snot-brain, come out now!" Need I say more who this is?

"Heh heh heh, yeah, come out little puss!" Mammoth's attempt to frighten me.

Great. Even Mammoth had come up with a phrase, though retarded and stupid.

If possible, I felt even more downcast. Blast. Now I had to come out.

Slowly as possible, like a vain naïve hope thinking they still wouldn't see me, (and the stabbing pains all over my body hurting, that was another reason) I got out of the little ball I was curled in and eased myself out of the small box.

"Hey guys. Long time no fight." I smirked, hoping they wouldn't notice the blood and bruises all over my body.

"Don't play that act, _Phantom_, we know you're weak as a newborn cat right now. So, like we said before, come quietly." Jinx purred, readying for a fight.

"Oh c'mon guys. Why all the hatin'?" I leered, and slowly arched by back to a fighting stance as well, only to have pain shoot up my posterior, as I straightened up again.

"HA HA HA HA HA!" Gizmo snorted, "She can't even walk without hurtin' herself, the stupid crud!"

I growled, baring my teeth, only to find that I could in fact NOT fight or move without pain. Dang it, the stupid kid was right.

Mammoth said nothing, he only seemed eager to fight. Waaaaay too eager, you could practically eat the resistance coming from him.

Suddenly Gizmo pulled out his stupid remote control thing, pressed a few buttons, and a large mechanical arm reached out of his backpack, with a nozzle that looked suspiciously like a gun.

"Oh crap." I said, and started to sprint toward the exit, trying to desperately ignore the stabbing sensation running itself through my body, like a raged animal trying to escape. I started to bleed again.

A blast of light, and suddenly I found myself tumbling head over heels in the murky water. As I rolled to a stop, full of pain and finding myself running short of air, I could hear the stupid brat laughing his head off. I shook my head furiously, figuring that any more pain couldn't hurt me now.

I found my that from my mouth to my lower torso, my arms were pinned to my sides in a very painful manner. A large band of goo, rubbery in texture, which would take AGES to get out of my fur, but there was something painful about it too. A small electrical current moved through it every second, and me moving would make it worse. Major annoyance? Oh yeah. After shivering with the electrical current for a few seconds, I got smart and stopped moving. Not a hair on my head down to tail moved.

"HAH HAH! She got smart!" Mammoth roared. "Can we take her back now?"

"Patient you big oaf! I want to bask in the glory of my capture and ingenious invention!" Gizmo yelled, walking over to my frail form on his skeletal machina legs.

I glared, however, since I couldn't speak, simply gave him the dirtiest look I could manage.

It stopped him, he stopped moving almost instantly, then Jinx roughly pushed by him, underneath, causing him to wobble and lose his balance slightly. Mammoth followed, simply pushing Gizmo out of the way. He fell into the water with a large and rather satisfying splash.

"Hmmmm, not bad Gizmo," Jinx murmured, walking circles around their victim. "Not bad at all..."

Mammoth grinned, his large hands reaching out to grab me, when a large explosion rocked the world, ermm, sewers, around us.

The three goons were blown back by pieces of flying debris, while stayed unmoved lying on the ground.

"Looks like you four missed the circus. Guess you'll just have to make do with jail! Titans, go!" For once, I was glad to hear the spiky-head's voice. Just once.

A T-Rex roared onto the scene, a cyborg riding on its back, blasting away at Gizmo, who had begun evasive action.

Raven faced off against Jinx, darkness against pure luck, while Robin and Starfire got to Mammoth, pelting him with starbolts and Robin's trusty metal pole.

I sort of just... sat there, seeing as there was nothing for me to do. Wait. There was something I could do. Behind the mask of goo, I smirked, '_those fools will be too busy fighting over, well, **me**, that they won't even notice me scuttle away.'_

I started crawling away, the constant shock ringing through my body, toward the hole the titans had ever-so-graciously made for me.

Once or twice I had to dodge a flying starbolt, or blast ray, or shot of darkness, but other than that, it was pretty easy to slip away unnoticed.

I'll spare you the details of the battle, but, basically, Robin and Starfire had Mammoth unconscious and started helping Raven & BB/Cyborg.

I had almost made it to the rubble, when a large black bubble curved itself up and around me, blocking my escape room.

I groaned irritably, a strange noise muffled by the mask, and turned behind me, seeing the Titans standing triumphantly in front of the unconscious members of The Hive.

My vision wavered, I noticed, or rather, felt, the blood running down my sides, arms, and legs, the pain consuming my body, and the dull throb of the electrical gooze.

"'Lo there Titans." My voice was sweet, though slightly muffled. I thought they could hear me. Apparently not.

"...What'd she say?" Beast Boy began, scratching his head as the Titans came forward to inspect me. As if I was going to be able to escape this stupid little 'black ball of doom' anyway. Gah. Paranoid morons.

I sighed, my ears lowering in disappointment. Forget it. My tail swished slightly from side to side.

"I'm not sure. But that doesn't matter. We've got her now, and we can finally get some answers." Robin said triumphantly.

"Right." Cyborg agreed.

"Oh friends, I am so happy that we have finally thwarted the powers of this Phantom and her friends!" Starfire cheered, her hands clasped near her cheek in victory.

I puffed up at this, in obvious fury, I growled, a noise I'm certain they all heard. Raven raised an eyebrow, her hood thrown down during the fight.

'_And don't even think about coming near my mind._' I thought, certain Raven was going to try it sooner or later.

'_What did you think I was going to do, after last time?_' She responded dryly.

While the Titans talked amongst themselves and Phantom sulked, a figure in the pile of unconscious figures roused. Gizmo grinned evilly, taking a small cylinder in his hand, a small inconspicuous button perched on top. He pressed it, and collapsed unconscious again on the pile, the cylinder falling from his hands and disassembling in the water.

I screamed. I screamed I screamed I screamed. The pain, the everlasting, completely filling P-A-I-N! Electricity raced through my body, crackling to life and leaving and shocking experience. It lasted for only a few seconds, perhaps five, but they felt like an eternity of pain.

I froze in a position, sitting on my knees and my back wretched up to an arching position. My eyes were fixed on the center of the top of the dome, the pupils white.

No one moved. No one breathed. I collapsed, into the water, unthinking, not breathing, and not living. The water raced around me, when did it get so fast...? The dome disappeared, the Titans racing to my still form in the water, but they were late. Too late. Much too late.

The blankness exploded in front of my eyes chasing away the memories. The memories of life, the Titans moving in, their face concerned and worried... was that possible?

'_Phantom, Phantom! Wake up! Wake up!! Arianna! Wake up!_' A voice called. So far... so far away...

Nothing.

---------------------------

Cyborg looked up from the still body of Phantom. "She's still alive."

* * *

Sheesh, took me a bit to write this one. Hope you guys like it, and keep reading! Review! n.n

Chapter Nine: Gah. It'll give it away. What will Phantom do when she wakes up; if and when she does! –gasp- Have fun guessing guys... Muahaha... -evil laughter-


	9. Chapter 9: Feelings and Memories

Okie dokies people! Here's the ninth chapter of Titan's Shadow! I want to give a personal thanks to everyone who reviewed for my last chapter! You guys are awesome, since everyone else seems to have withered away... or something... O.o

Oh, the person who was calling Phantom's real name in the last chapter was Raven, with 'telekinesis.' Since she's the only one who could have reached her at the moment... O.o And--NO!—this is NOT going to be a 'slash' fan-fic! -.-x Just thought I'd say that. –sigh- Sheesh. You people think I have a sick mind or something...

Anyway, the disclaimer-er for this chapter is... well, April. -.-; Only because she requested about... -thinks- well, two chapters ago. Okay, here it goes:

April: Wingyness doesn't own da Teen Titans. She can hardly even RP them. She only owns notebook upon notebook of piccys and Phantom.

Wingy: Thank you April, for that wonderful disclaimer. And by the way, I only drew one picture of Phantom. Gah.

**Note: In this chapter, the italicized words indicate a flashback.** Continue! :)

* * *

The IV machine inside the hospital sector of the Tower slowly fed out a constant stream of beeps, indicating that life was still inside the frail body of the part cat, part human creature dubbed Phantom. 

Her chest slowly raised and lowered, her breath fogging up the inside of the breath mask over her mouth.

She was deep in a coma, and no one knew if she would ever come out of it.

"_Cyborg, grab Phantom. Gently, gently!" Robin roared. "She's the only witness we have to figuring out the key to Slade!"_

"_Dude, relax! Aren't you a little bit more concerned for her life? She was just electrocuted with like a million bolts!" Beast Boy snapped back at the one-track-minded-boy-wonder._

"_About five thousand actually." Raven piped up, her violet eyes clouded with thought. Her last mind attempt had failed. She was gone. Phantom was absent. Her mind, vanished almost._

_Robin furrowed his brow, then spoke again, "Starfire, Beast Boy, take those goons," he gestured with his head to the fallen figures of Jinx, Mammoth, and Gizmo, "to jail, and DON'T let them out of your sight. Cyborg, Raven, and I will take Phantom back to the Tower. Titans, go!"_

The titans were scattered about the tower, doing things just to keep their mind off what had happened. It wasn't working. Cyborg sat in the main room, tapping away on the gamebox's controller, as the words, 'LOSER! LOSER' flashing on the screen. Raven levitated on the roof, the setting sun casting a bloody glow across the entire city. She chanted slowly and calmly her three famous words, her dark blue cape fluttering slightly in the breeze, her hood down. Starfire was anxiously twisting a strand of hair around her finger, laying down on her bed. Beast Boy sat, alone, on a chair beside the still body of Phantom, his head down and his hands together, twiddling his thumbs restlessly.

Robin was the only one focused. The only one concentrating. The only one uncaring about Phantom's health. He was still thinking of the last time he had seen Slade, as he angrily punched the targets in his training session. 'Wake up...' he thought irritably as the last target was kicked in fury. As a buzzer sounded indicating the end of his training, he glared angrily up to where the hospital area was, willing with all his might that the thief would wake up soon. And give them more answers about Slade.

Beast Boy sighed and put his head into his hands. He didn't know why he was so worried about Phantom; Arianna. It was weird. Everything changed when he first learned her name. Arianna. It was beautiful, just like... just like.

He shook his head. "Dude, what are you thinking?! This is Phantom, the evil, cold hearted thief! The chick that gave you those horrible scratches and cuts!" He stood up, his fist clenched, glaring at the beaten and broken body of Phantom.

Then, his face relaxed, still staring at Arianna. Her body was covered in casts and bandages, slings and tubes that were feeding her. Yet... it was peaceful, her shimmering black hair cast around her face, her ears lowered gently at the side of her head. She looked... so peaceful when she was asleep.

'_I wonder what makes her so cruel when she's awake. What is she driven by? Why does she do such horrible things...? She says she's all alone. Who's there to protect? Who was there to protect her? And why are they gone now...?'_ Beast Boy thought. He sighed and sat down by her bed again.

"Don't worry Phantom. I'll protect you. I'll protect you... Arianna."

-----------...-----------

Deep in sleep. Deep in slumber. Deep in mind. Deep in the dark voids of her mind, Arianna Pawsone stuttered. She was walking, alone, on a white path to nowhere. Blackness curled in around her. She stumbled, and looked around. Her ears flicked this way and that for a moment. Her grey tail swished.

'Where am I?' She asked, her voice echoing out before her. She knew she had been walking, but for what purpose? What was her reason for slowly plodding one cat-like foot after the other? Why was she mindlessly pounding the 'ground' in front of her? Why was her whole body repaired? The last thing she remembered was pain, and now it was gone. Her hand slowly went up to touch the left ear, and gasped. A large chunk was missing, exactly where she had ripped the GP had been. And why was she in this long creepy tunnel? Shouldn't she be in the sewers... or something? Unless... she was gone. Deceased. Six feet under. Kicked the bucket. Dead.

'NO!' Arianna yelled, and fell to her knees, her head in her hands. Voices were heard. Strange voices, familiar in their own way. Where had she heard them before...?

'_Hey there Ari, c'mon! Lighten up! It's JUST a little party. What could go wrong?'_ An adolescent voice. Somewhat bratty.

Arianna lifted her head out of her hands, and saw a vision. No, not a vision, a memory. Of her past.

A tall, brown haired girl, her emerald eyes sparkling, twirled in a circle before leaning down to a younger girl.

Arianna gasped. It was her sister, Lily.

Lily playfully squeezed the cheek of what could only be a younger version of what had become Phantom.

The mini-Phantom wore a pink barrette over top her jet-black hair, two mysterious looking points stuck up from inside the French hat. She crossed her arms over her chest, an equally pink scarf thrown haphazardly around her neck. A tiny black cat tail swished, poking out through a hole in brown cargo pants. Mini-Phantom wore a pink shirt.

Phantom snorted, tears brimming in her eyes from the nostalgia of it all, was she really such a girly-girl?

'_I dunno Lily. You know what Mum and Da said! They'd kill me, no BOTH of us if they found out I was using my... well... 'power' again.'_ Mini-Phantom sounded worried, as though others might overhear her and her sister.

Lily pouted in a similar way to what her little sister looked like. Her forest green tank top ended at the top of her midriff, revealing a small cat head belly button ring. A mini skirt showed her daring at revolting against her parents, with brown lace up boots to top it all off.

_'C'mon Ari, just ONE more time? I promise I'll take ya out for ice-cream later!' _She crouched down to her sister's level.

_'Papaya flavour?' _the mini-Phantom asked.

_'Papaya flavour,' _Lily winked and picked up her sister, _'So, let's go! Through the wall!'_

_'Through the wall!' _Mini-Phantom laughed, and she and her sister phased through the wall laughing.

The image faded, and tears began running down Phantom's face. She sniffled, holding her bottom lip to keep from sobbing, but it was no use. "Why... did it have to end this way?!" She raged, getting up, tears streaming down her face, she began running. Running, running, running down the white path as images began flashing by her again, memories of her long-forgotten past and family. Laughter rang in her ears, yells, and choruses of happy songs and piano concertos.

They began running faster, and faster now, flashing by at the speed of light. Memories came and memories left, clinging to Phantom's mind on this Hell Hole of crazy lights and images.

"AHHHHH!" Phantom roared, her legs padding faster and faster now, jumping from piece to piece of the path, which was now breaking up into smaller pieces.

A lady's scream, shrill and afraid rang in her ears as a hat similar to the one Phantom wore fell slowly to the mucky, dirty, street ground.

Phantom leaped off of one of the ledges, and into the light. She was getting out of here, no matter what.

---------...-------------

"BEEP BEEP BEEP!" The life support machine for Phantom began beeping and clicking furiously. Papers were flying out of the machine, readings going off the chart.

Beast Boy leapt out of his chair, running over to the machine, his eyes gazing over report it held. His eyes grew wide.

"All Titans, report to the hospital room! NOW!" Beast Boy's voice shook the through the tower on the intercom system.

Raven opened her eyes as the annoying teammate's voice shook her out of the synch she was in.

Starfire floated up off her bed as the door swished open and shut for her.

Cyborg dropped the controller, the TV screen now flashing, 'YOU WIN! YOU WIN! YOU WIN!'

Robin stopped, his breath heavy, as he started sprinting towards the tower. He was going to get some answers. Now.

Beast Boy leaned over Phantom's racing and sweating body, holding her hand without second thought.

"C'mon! C'mon! Wake up! What's wrong Phantom?!" He yelled into her un-damaged ear.

The other Titans burst into the room as Phantom's eyes fluttered open.

* * *

...Like it? Good. :) Review! I think I liked this chapter 'da best! 

Chapter Ten: Robin wants answers. And he'll do anything to get them. Phantom still has no idea what's happening, as more images of her past come flashing back.


	10. Chapter 10: Emotions run high

    Wh00t! I can't believe I actually got to double digits! :D Thanks so much you guys for encouraging me to get here!

    Anywho, this chapter should be pretty amusing, to my vantage point. Oh yes, to answer April's question, I shall and forever will be against Terra. Terra's.... –cough- Insane in the Membrane, and that will always be. However, this is my fiction, and I have permission to 'couple' whomever I please. :3 So, keep that in mind. –coughcoughAPRILcoughcough-

    You know I love ya. xD

    Back to business... and the disclaimer speaker shall be... Starfire!

**    Starfire:** Oh! What a wonderful place this is! I cannot believe you allowed me to do this wonderful thing of 'disclaiming.' Tell me again, what am I to say?

**    Wingy:** -.-; Tell them how I don't own you, ya know?

**    Starfire:** Oh... Well friend Wings of Aurora has absolutely no control over the Teen Titans, and she never will! n.n

**    Wingy:** -sigh- It'll work.

    On with Chapter 10! Hope ya guys like it! Remember to review!

* * *

    "Phantom..." Beast Boy whispered, as the once still body of the infamous thief pushed herself up from the bed. 

    She winced, and blinked, the sunlight too bright for her liking.

    "What's... going on?" She asked, clearly surprised at her position.

    The rest of the titans, seeing as they just arrived, tripped over themselves in an effort to get to the bed.

    Starfire was the first to get up, floating up from underneath Robin's arm, "You are... awake then Phantom?" She asked curiously, her face peering into the rather peeved looking face of Phantom.

    A hand clenched on her arm, and Robin slowly pulled her down and away from the thief.

    "Easy Starfire. Remember, Phantom is a thief, and you can't trust her." He glared at Phantom, who stuck her tongue out in an annoying manner in response, blowing a loud raspberry.

    "Psh. I didn't even WANT to wake up here. You guys shoulda just let me die there. I'd like it a lot better than waking up here with the Goon Squad." She gestured with her hands weakly the giant dog-pile the Titans had made earlier, and smirked.

    "I'd watch yourself little lady. Robin's right. You're still under surveillance. You have been for the last two weeks." Cyborg clambered up to the bed, crossing his arms over his robotic chest.

    Phantom's jaw dropped, "No. Way. I've been out for two weeks?! Two whole freaking weeks?! That's not possible! I shouldn't have been injured for that long—"

    "—You would if we told you that you were zapped with too much electricity that you and your ghost cells could handle. In case you didn't know, that's your only weakness as a ghost. That, and the whole sunlight issue. We found more about you after we took a DNA sample when we first brought you hear. We took a blood sample too. We had to figure out exactly who you were." Raven butted in, her cape covering her body, so that only her head was un-covered.

    Phantom gritted her cat-like teeth and glared at the Titans, her fists clenched.

---Phantom's PoV---

    '_That stupid pointy-spiky-haired-little-boy-wonder Robin has his arms folded over his chest... in that stupid swanky 'I got you' manner, that stupid jerk. Why does he think he's so cool? It's not like he personally 'caught' me or anything.'_ I thought angrily.

    I then turned to Starfire, who, believe it or not, looked unsure of what to say or do. She, too, was staring at me, though thoughtfully. She played with a lock of her hair.

    Raven's face was un-readable, completely stoical. I knew she was just itching to get inside my head though, to figure this whole stupid thing out.

    Cyborg was hunched over the computer next to my bed, tapping away at the keyboard. I'd figure out what he was doing later.

    And lastly... Beast Boy. What the heck was he thinking? His deep green eyes were nervous, and unsure, like Starfire's. The little tofu-obsessee hadn't said a single word during the whole thing, except... Nah. That couldn't be him. I sighed, and closed my eyes for a second, thinking, '_Then who said 'Phantom...,' just before I woke up? Ugh. Better think of something to say, and fast.'_

---Narrator PoV---

    Phantom chuckled and opened her right eye, staring at Robin, saying rather slyly, "So. What do you plan on doing now?"

    "Simple. We're going to interrogate you to figure out who you are exactly, and why you were looking for Slade." Robin answered, his voice emphasizing the last word.

    Phantom raised her eyebrows, opening her other eye and smirked.

    "Oh. I see. You plan on grilling a poor, pathetic, weakened Phantom for some answers about your life-long obsession, aren't you? Since I'm too strong normally for you. You had to wait for me to weaken first. You don't care what happens to me as long as you figure out who my dear-old-boss Slade is." Her voice was ice, hissing coldly to the leader of the Titans, whose arms fell to his sides at when he heard what she said.

    The other Titans gasped, and Starfire looked at Robin, grabbing him by the shoulders.

    "Is it true? Is it true at what Phantom says?" She asked, genuinely afraid at what Robin would do to get what he wanted.

    He was silent for a moment, during which time Raven said, "No. He isn't. He does intend on asking Phantom some questions while she is hurt, but only for the safety of all of us."

    Cyborg looked to the computer screen then to the rest of us, saying, "Robin. You. Me. Outside. Let's talk."

    He then walked around the bed to where Robin was standing, grabbed him by the cape and proceeded to drag him to the hallway, waving good-bye to the stunned Titans and Phantom with a bright wave saying, "Don't worry y'all. Rob 'n me are just gonna have a little chat about this. I'll come back all, ya hear?"

    When the door shut with a strangely loud WHOOSH in the quiet room, the Titans and the foe Phantom gave each other hopeless and rather confused looks, basically saying, 'What... just happened?'

    Outside, in the hall, Cyborg dropped Robin against the side of the wall, who by then was turning blue in the face.

    Rubbing his throat sorely, Robin gave his old friend and angry look, getting up, "What was that for Cyborg?! What are you thinking?"

    "I'm thinkin' that you need to calm down there man. I know you wanna find out who Slade is, and don't get me wrong, so do I!" He added hastily after a reproachful glare from Robin.

    "Then why didn't you let me keep going in there? I can handle the heat! I'm not going to crack; Phantom is going to be fine. Why would I hurt her? I could end up arresting myself!" Robin shouted angrily.

    "You gotta stop lyin' to yourself there Robin. 'Cause from where I'm standin', it doesn't look like you got too much control of yourself!" Cyborg roared back, just as angrily, getting into Robin's face.

    Robin started to respond; drawing a huge breath of air, then stopped, and exhaled, the air blowing out into Cyborg's face.

    "You're right. I... I just get so..." Robin walked off slightly, to a window, staring out at the city.

    "Over-stimulated? Over-excited? Crazy?" Cyborg offered dryly, walking over to join his friend.

    Robin looked at his friend and smiled, "Yeah. Something like that."

    They both held out their hands, and shook heartily, and Robin let out an 'OOF' as air was crushed from his lungs, seeing how Cyborg had pulled him into a bear hug.

    "Uhh... Cyborg, I'm glad you made me sane again and all... but I'd still... like... to... breathe!" Robin squeaked as his voice faltered.

    "Oops. Sorry man." The mechanical man responded as he released his friend.

    Cyborg grinned, as Robin tried to get his breath back, his face darkening slightly.

    "But there's still one thing worrying me." The Boy Wonder spoke grimly.

    "What's that man?" Cyborg asked, stopping half way back to the door to turn around and look at his friend.

    "Why was The Hive at the sewer?" He asked.

    "Simple. They were after Phantom too. C'mon man, that was pretty obvious." Cyborg responded, where was Robin going with this?

    "Why were they hunting her? Who employed them to go after her? How did they find her? It's hard to track a ghost." Robin's voice grew dark, and glared as he looked over at the hustling and bustling nighttime life of the city.

    "You don't think..." Cyborg's human eye widened.

    "Slade." Robin spoke grimly.

    A mechanical noise was heard pounding, deep underground in the heart of Jump City. Again, and again. It was growing louder and louder. A whirr and click.

    An evil man's voice, heard only in the darkness, a single spotlight shining down on a solitary figure, his arms folded behind his back.

    "Soon, Titans. Soon."

    The lights shut off, and the place was etched in black.

* * *

    Well, ya know how I said that 'more of Phantom's memories were going to be revealed' in this chapter? Well, I lied. xD 

    But did you guys like this one anyway? Well, I hope you liked it!

    Review! O.o

    Chapter 11: Okay, seriously, more things are going to be revealed about Phantom's past. I'm serious this time. Plus... perhaps part of Slade's plan will be unveiled too! –gasp- Who knows? You'll just have to wait for the next chapter!


	11. Chapter 11: Painful Memories

Wee! My eleventh chapter! I'm so excited; I never thought I'd make it this far! Thanks so much AprilKisses and VioletNeo4! And to answer your question Violet, hope you don't mind me calling you that, I don't not like Robin, it's just I was pointing out his strange obsession with Slade, as April so kindly pointed out in her review. :P ( And don't worry April, you'll see some pairings soon! xD )

**Note:** From this point on, I will be editing my former chapters with different things. Now don't worry, they won't be too drastic, just spelling errors and the way I arranged things. For Chapter One, I simply added more description to it, so go back and look over it if you want. :)

My Disclaimer shall be… none other than the menacing, evil man… Slade!

**Slade:** -glare- Who are you?

**Wingy:** Umm… -blinkblink- I'm Wingy, the creator of this story! :D

**Slade:** Hn. Want to be my apprentice? I seem to be running out of victims…

**Wingy:** -sweatdrop- Just tell them I don't own the Teen Titans.

**Slade:** -glare- Wingy doesn't own the cursed Teen Titans. She's just a pathetic moron who doesn't want to be my apprentice. Which reminds me. I've been in a total of FOUR chapters so far! Jerk! –bursts out into tears-

**Wingy:** O.o –cough-

Well, in this chapter, the _italicized_ sections and paragraphs mean a flashback is occurring! n.n

So, on with the chapter!

* * *

"I told you, I. Don't. Know." Phantom growled from her spot in the hospital wing, laying helplessly in the bed. 

Her fur was bristling and her ears were flat against her ebony coloured head in anger. Her left ear, a battle scar of sorts, was still bandaged heavily but didn't hurt as much now.

Her minor cuts and bruises were gone now, healed by Raven's powers, but the rest of her body still damaged from her fight with Slade and then the ruckus with the Hive gang.

Her grey hand was formed into a fist; due to a build up of anger from interrogations the Titans had been giving her the past few days.

"Then why were you trying to kill us?" Robin asked dryly, seated in a backwards chair facing Phantom. He raised his eyebrows, the white mask hiding his eyes that everyone could imagine were filled with skepticism.

"I wasn't TRYING to, you guys just seemed to be freaking EVERY WHERE and get in MY way. Technically I'm the victim here." Phantom sniffed and gingerly crossed her arms over her heavily bandaged chest.

Robin grunted.

"What were you doing when we 'got in your way'?" Raven asked, her face and body hidden by her long blue cape. She wasn't in the best of moods. Changing guard over security of Phantom's 'room' was tiring. Especially at three AM acting as guard with none other than Beast Boy rambling on about his little 'pet,' the stupid worm-thing, Silky, was doing **every single second**. ( A/N: I had to put the little guy in. :3 )

"Stealing things." Phantom responded simply, and shrugged, gripping the sheets of her bed with her paw-like hands again.

The Titans in the room, Robin, Raven, and Cyborg, sighed with exasperation. This is how the interrogations had been going for the past three days. Angry questions, snide answers. Sweetly-asked questions, sarcastic answers. It got old. Even Starfire thought so, and that was saying something.

"All right. Let's go Titans. We'll be back Phantom, so don't try anything." Robin got out of the chair and set it in its place, walking towards the door as Phantom rolled her eyes in scorn. Like she actually could?

Twenty-four hour surveillance, two guards at the door every hour of the day, and bio-scans ready to beep and alert the Titans if anything went wrong… oh yeah. She was planning an escape.

As the door swished shut and Phantom was left alone, she sighed and laid back down on her bed, her arms behind her head and her pale yellow eyes staring at the ceiling.

"Like I'm in the condition to leave this safety area…" She murmured, and turned to her side, staring out of the huge window that showed the illuminating horizon of the sea.

She growled and closed her eyes to the blinding light, pulling the covers over her head, "No one appreciates me…"

The Titans were all in their rooms; sleeping, the threat of Phantom gone.

All of them, except Robin and Starfire. They were tonight's lucky six-hour shift, at three AM Cyborg and Beast Boy would relieve them.

Robin was leaning up against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, staring sullenly at the wall directly opposite of him. Starfire was sitting on the ground, her legs crossed and she hummed happily, knitting a pink scarf.

"Wonderful, is it not?" She grinned, holding the half-finished scarf out to Robin.

"Erh…" Robin stared at the maroon coloured… thing. Stray woolen threads that he sincerely hoped were wool poked randomly out at different places. It was frayed and poorly made, but Robin gave her a crooked smile saying, "It is. It's your best yet!"

"Oh, marvelous!" Starfire yelped, and flew up to him, holding the scarf at arms length, "Then it is you who I shall bestow this gift upon!" She smiled even broader at threw it rather vigorously around his neck.

She smiled and put her hands together in hopeful clasp, floating up and down next to him, "You truly do love it then?!"

After sputtering and loosening the scarf's hold around his neck, Robin smiled, "Of course."

They laughed, unaware of the disturbance going on just beyond the steel door.

Phantom tossed and turned in her bed, sweat trickling down her forehead.

'_Please… please let the pain make it stop…_' She thought desperately in her mind, but the horrible nightmares continued…

* * *

_Slade's voice echoed in my head. His horrible masked face etched before in a sea of black, the cold brown eye stained with the colour of blood._

_The ebony around me faded, and I found myself looking on something I hoped I'd never see again._

"_Wonderful Phantom. It's your best yet." Slade walked away from a frail form on the ground, and sat on his throne._

_A small figure, sputtering, its sides heaving, slowly got up, clutching her side, "I live to serve you, Master." _

_I gasped, invisible to the people in the scene. 'That's me…' I thought, and put my hands to my mouth; I thought I was going to puke. Had I really been that eager to serve that scumbag?!_

_The image faded, and I was left in black again._

"_Don't worry, I'll protect you." My father's voice, firm and strong._

_The memory exploded into my face like fireworks, and I swear, I had to keep from crying._

_I was sitting on the ground, a younger version of me, who was still known as Arianna. My older sister's famous hat, which curved around my head, too large for my still ebony hair. It's curved rim was a tannish colour, the rest of the soft, leathery hat light blue with the symbol of some unknown school in gold on the front of it._

_I loved that hat. _( A/N: :3 I have a hat like that too… )

"_Daddy…" The mini-me bit her lip and tried to stop the tears from flowing down her face, but failing, her face wet with past tears._

"_Don't worry Arianna. We'll always be with you." He smiled and put a hand on her cheek, before pulling her into a tight embrace, followed by Phantom's sister and mother._

_Arianna was the only one crying, why did they have to go?_

_TS-EEW! TS-EEW!_

_Red beams of light shot the demolished piece of ceiling above them, causing more rubble to fall down on the group._

_Arianna's family let go, each getting up, one after another. _

"_Don't worry. We'll be with you forever." Arianna's father got up, facing towards the oncoming danger._

"_We love you sweetie. Remember that Arianna." Her mother kissed her gently on the cheek before joining her husband._

"_Hey, runt. Take care of that hat, will ya?" Lily playfully punched her on the shoulder._

_Arianna grinned, as the transparent Phantom put her hands to her mouth in fear. What was this? She'd never seen this before… why didn't she remember it?!_

"_Arianna. You need to run. Now. Don't worry about us." Her father turned to look at her, his deep brown eyes reflecting her sadness and his own._

"_You need to run away and find help. Never stop running." Arianna's mother smiled warmly, her normally neat bun falling from its graceful position, her light brown hair falling over her shoulders in an angelic sort of pose._

"_Don't worry." Lily flipped her brown hair over her shoulder, and smiled, "We're gonna be with ya. It's a Love thing."_

_Arianna smiled, as more lasers blew into the wall behind Arianna, she screamed and started to get up and run away, as her parents and her sister ran towards the figures dressed in black, all wearing the same identical mask of silver, their silver hand guns blasting with power and force. _

'_They're gonna be okay… right?' Arianna thought as her small padded feet slammed into the rubble and floor, scratches marking up her feet, and bruises from falling again._

_Screams of pain greeted her thoughts, human screams._

_Tears flew out behind her as she looked behind her, unaware of the falling rubble reigning down on her head._

_A heavy weight hit her head, and she collapsed. _

"_NO!" Phantom called, trapped in the spot she had found herself in, as the world around her faded to black._

_Tears began to fall down her face as she realized what was happening, but sniffed loudly as the blackness enveloping her began to change into something else, something not too far ahead of what had happened from the last scene._

_Arianna, waking up on the cool black floor. She shook her head, and looked around in the dimly lit room, a spotlight around her._

"_Where am I…?" She asked, as Phantom gripped her hands in anger of what was about to happen. She knew what was going to start… right about… now._

"_In my… home." A tall, menacing figure walked towards the young Arianna, his arms behind his back._

"_Mr. Slade!" Arianna got up suddenly, and rushed towards him, hugging him around the legs, for that was where her height came to._

"_Arianna. I'm sorry to say-"_

"_What happened, Mr. Slade? I can't remember a thing!" Arianna cried._

"_Really?" Behind the mask, a smile curled._

"_I'm sorry to say Arianna, but your life will change now. I saved your life and now because of that you will serve me." Slade's voice echoed in Arianna's large cat-like ears._

"_But…" Arianna stepped away from him, and looked confused._

_She smiled, and looked at him, "Okay."_

_Slade narrowed his visible eye._

"_My little… Phantom."_

_Phantom cried out, "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" As darkness covered the world around her and took away everything she had hoped for._

* * *

"Phantom." Raven's violet eyes sprung open, as she sprang out of bed and ran for the door, not bothering to put on her cape. It wasn't the time. She'd have to deal with her leotard and the chilliness in the hallways of the Tower. 

As she thundered by Beast Boy's door, she noticed it was already opened, closing shut with a low hum.

She literally flew up three flights of stairs, not bothering to use the slow elevator, and threw open the stair doorway to the hospital hallway, as she heard frightened shouts from Robin and Starfire, and footsteps thundering in the hallway.

She turned the corner to find the door to the hospital wing open; she dashed inside and stopped at the door, stunned by the noise of the alarm going off and the sight in the room.

A pale Beast Boy was by Phantom's writhing, sweating form, the vital signs through the roof on the screen. Starfire stood next to the bed, placing a cold cloth on Phantom's forehead. Robin was tapping furiously into the machine, and then slamming his fist angrily on top, he noticed Raven in the doorway.

"We could use some help Raven! Now!" Robin shouted.

Stunned, Raven flew into the room, and nodded to Robin, and concentrated on her powers, only after Phantom's eyes flew open, pale and frantic, tears at once brewing in her eyes and then falling down her face.

She was crying, as Cyborg clunked into the room awakened by the sound of the alarm, she was sobbing for her life.

Scared, and alone, Phantom threw herself into the surprised Beast Boy, clutching onto his arms, ranting and saying something about, "Everything's a Love thing. I've figured it out… I've figured it out!" She sobbed, and Beast Boy held her, softly whispering as the Titans relaxed, "It's all right. I'm…" He looked around the room at the Titan's faces, "We're gonna be with ya."

* * *

The next morning, all the Titans had spent their time in the hospital wing; the sun dawned brightly in the room. 

The Phantom was sitting up in the room, glancing through nearly closed eyes at the Titans sprawled around the room, Robin and Starfire sitting in chairs, leaning against each other, Cyborg leaning against the wall, snoozing, Beast Boy sprawled in the next bed beside Phantom's bed, a weird pink worm-thing resting on his chest, and Raven meditating in the quiet room in front of the window gently chanting, "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."

"Raven?" Phantom asked, turning away from the brightness of the light, staring at the wall behind her with the shadow of Raven slowly moving up and down.

"Yes?" Came her reply, landing back down on her feet with a small gentle tap.

"I remember. Everything."

"Good. We're going to need it."

* * *

Whew. 

:3

That was good. The part in the hospital last night was almost too sweet for me to write. Hah hah. xD

Review please!


	12. Chapter 12: Who ordered Ebay?

Wheee! –slides down on metal pole-

Well, that was random. Oh well. Anyway, here's the twelve chapter of Titan's Shadow! ( Obviously. ) And I _really_ hope that activates the indents again... because now it looks reallybad. --'

Okay, thanks to everyone who reviewed, 'specially April 'cause she's always been there reviewing! n.n

Oh yeah… No. Way. Holy snap, reviwer Nevermore! That's kinda… freaky. Eh. –shrug- Oh well. I'll be waiting for your story! ( Hopefully they won't be too alike or people will get suspicious! xD )

Okay, disclaimer for this chapter will be… Robin!

**Robin: **-reads from script- 'Wingy doesn't own the Teen Titans, nor will she ever. She only holds the copyright to Phantom, and all the randomness that happens in this story.' –glare- That's a nice metal pole ya got there. Mind explaining where you got it?  
**Wingy: **Ummm… Internet?  
**Robin: **Liar! You stole that pole for Slade, didn't you?! It's for his plan to destroy the world, isn't it?! Give it here! –attacks-  
**Wingy: **-runs away clutching pole- Hope you enjoy this folks!_  
_

_Italicized words indicate flashback, in large paragraphs. The italicized words inside _" ' ' " indicate person is thinking.

* * *

The Titans were all doing what they did best when no villains were around. 

Nothing.

Okay, okay, maybe not really 'NOTHING' technically speaking, but you catch the drift.

Okay, you caught me again. There _was_ a villain around, but at the moment she was slightly… bored out of her mind.

"ARGH!" A glass was thrown against the very hard wall of the hospital wing, where it shattered.

Silver coloured paws padded angrily around the room, the left limping slightly as another object was thrown against the wall, causing another loud shattering sound. Scattered and trampled remains of scrambled tofu egg and orange juice were joined by the new arrival.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" A vase broke against the wall, as bandaged arms were thrown around in obscene and violent gestures as the ranting continued, "You help a 'crime fighting team' of moronic idiots along with their stupid 'little plan' to 'save the world,' by telling them your life story, telling them all you can freaking remember about your stupid old 'master,' and what do they do?! They lock you up in a stupid 'hospital' wing!" The Phantom roared angrily, kicking the wall, leaving a sizeable indent.

"They're going to pay for this…" Phantom ran a slender hand through her sleek ebony hair before looking around the room as her cold grey eyes locked on a laptop left nonchalantly in the corner.

Her mouth curled into a nasty smirk, "They're going to pay dearly."

-------------------

The Teen Titans were all piled in the Main Room, the usual amount of noise ricocheting around the room.

Beast Boy and Cyborg were tapping furiously at the controller keys of the Gamestation.

"Dude, I am SO going to beat you."

"Oh, that's what you think! I'm gonna pass ya-"

"What?! NO WAY!"

"Oh ho ho, look who's winnin' now!"

Starfire looked joyfully on, floating cross-legged in the air next to the boys, "Wonderful 'pass' Cyborg! Do not worry Beast Boy, I am sure you will pass… him… soon…" Her voice faltered as Cyborg punched the air in victory.

"Boo ya!"

Raven was balanced precariously on the border of control and anger.

"Relax Raven. They're going to have to stop sooner or later." She gritted her teeth and burrowed her face further into the book entitled 'So, your friend's obsessed with tofu.'

The leader of the team, Robin, was perhaps the only one at the moment actually working, papers strewn across a table in the kitchen, maps and blueprints scattered haphazardly.

Beast Boy slunk up towards Robin, as Starfire took his place at the Gamestation, to the dismay of Cyborg, the former winner now staring on in horror at the sight of his virtual car smashing off the track.

"Dude, are you all right?" Beast Boy asked, taking hold of the topmost map, a complete city blueprint as the vocals of Starfire's 'Victory!' rang triumphantly through the room.

"Fine. Could you hand that back to me? I was kinda in the middle of inspecting it." Robin held a gloved hand out to retrieve the map.

"Uhhh, sure." The green teen (A/N: Did that rhyme? xD) handed the map back and slid in next to Robin.

"So, ummm, whatcha workin' on?"

-------------------

"_I can't remember exactly what Slade was working on; he never told me. Apparently he didn't trust me enough." Phantom rubbed her temples in the exertion of her mind._

"_But it's something big. It's something that he wanted to be able to destroy the whole city and possibly the world with. And you guys, of course." Phantom indicated the Titans around the room with a nod of her head, "I was in the middle of stealing parts of it in Jump City when you guys interrupted me. I already had most of the parts, from other parts of the world, but strangely enough the final parts 'we' needed were here. Who woulda known?" She shrugged, and crossed her arms, closing her eyes._

"_But why were you at the art museum?" Beast Boy piqued up._

_Phantom smirked, "That was mostly just for me. I… I like art. So I figured, 'Hey, why not?' Slade allowed me to do it, I guess mainly it was because it was a chance to destroy you guys."_

"_Oh…" Beast Boy nodded, and Phantom continued on._

"_It's underneath the city. His lair. I can't remember where though. Sorry. That part of my mind is… gone. Blank. Wiped out. But that's where Slade's working on the project. He called it the… the uh…"_

"_The what?" Robin asked._

_Phantom opened her pale eyes, "I don't know. It's gone. But his hide out's somewhere underneath the city. Basically. Aside from my life story, that's all I can tell you guys." She grinned and leaned back in her bed, closing her eyes, "Guess I lied about saying I 'membered everything, huh?"_

_Robin shook his head, "Nope. That's fine. That's enough for now."_

_The Titans got up, the doors swooshing open._

"_But you'll need to stay here for awhile, for further… observation."_

_Phantom's eyes shot open, "What."_

_Robin paused at the doorframe; "You'll have to stay her until further notice."_

"_Are you kidding me?!" Her eyes flashed as she leaped out of her bed and landed on her feet, wincing at the sudden violent pain, "I am leaving. NOW."_

_She got up and ran for the door, but Robin had been expecting this._

"_Sorry." He stepped out of the door with sudden speed and it clicked shut, as Phantom reached it her fists slamming painfully against the door, "I AM GOING TO **KILL** YOU!"_

_-------------------_

Robin sighed and leaned back in his seat in the remembrance of two mornings ago.

"She's still raging up there, huh?" He asked, his head back and his hands rubbing the sides of his face, in sheer exhaustion.

Beast Boy nodded grimly, "Yep. When I took her her breakfast this morning, she just sorta… threw it into my face…" He added as an afterthought, "I thought she might have _liked_ tofu…"

Robin grinned wryly, "Don't worry. She should calm down eventually."

"Yeah."

DING-DONG!

The loud and cheery sound of a doorbell rang through out the large T Tower.

"Uh… any of y'all expecting any visitors today?" Cyborg raised a human eyebrow while he paused the Gamestation.

"No… perhaps this is a surprising visit of the Nicholas man of Saints?" Starfire flew up at once, dropping the controller at the prospect of a visitor.

"Uhh…sorry Starfire. If you mean Santa Clause, he uhhh, doesn't come this time of year." Robin responded to the awkward silence filling the Tower.

Another cheery DING-DONG ran through the Tower, as Raven floated to the door asking flatly, "You guys coming or what?"

DING-DONG! DING-DONG DING-DONG-DING-DO—

The last bell was cut off the sudden destruction of the metal box that contained the doorbell as a large raven's claw clutched it.

"Dude…" The delivery man commented, adjusting his thick-rimmed glasses, "That must be some sorta special effect… maybe these guys really are with the Federation…"

The large door slid open causing the teenager to jump, revealing a very ticked off Raven and curious Titans.

"Uhhh… right." The delivery-boy saluted, "Delivery for the Teen Titans, 1700 Isle Avenue. Right here from Ebay." He jerked his thumb to the large crates behind him on a forklift.

"Um, we didn't order anything…" Robin commented while the man jumped behind the wheel and gunned the engine, leading to the total horsepower of 5 mph.

The guy shrugged as he parked in the middle of the hallway, taking a clipboard out of a slot in the forklift.

"Well, _dudes_, according to this," He shoved the clipboard into Robin's once empty hands, "You guys bought a couple of _weird_ stuff." He sniffed his nose loudly before wiping it on his arm.

Raven gave him a death glare, while he stiffened at the look. Starfire was ignoring all the events going on, truly convinced that this Federation-obsessed acne-covered adolescent was truly the 'Saint of Nicholas.' She was floating up, down, and around the large crates, examining the word 'FRAGILE' plastered everywhere, and shaking the boxes lightly with her strong arms. (A/N: 'Member, she can lift a boulder with those arms! Aftershock, Pt. 1)

Cyborg and Beast Boy were also among the boxes, seeing as there were five brown-wooded crates now scattered around the hallway. Beast Boy sniffed cautiously as a bloodhound at the largest one, while Cyborg scanned the boxes with his, well, scanner.

Amid all this, Robin and Raven continued to converse with the deliverer, mostly Robin talking while Raven kept him intimidated.

"I told you, we DID NOT order ANYTHING from Ebay, NOR WILL WE EVER PLAN TO!" Robin yelled at the persistent hassler.

"Well it says here on the **OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE SUPER SPEEDY DELIVERY EBAY ORDER**," The delivery boy stabbed the order form viciously with emphasis, with his index finger, "That the Teen Titans ordered a black Baby Grand Piano, the complete works of Bach, and Mozart and some Clementi guy, along with a couple of orders of tuning tools. Oh yeah, an easel, a couple paintbrush kits," He counted them off on his finger, "some paint; different types of course, different sized canvas', and about 20 pounds of papayas. And… a black trench coat and black tinted sunglasses. Both very nice quality by the way."

The man leaned back against the behind of his forklift looking satisfied, slicking back his already greasy-looking brown hair. Now it was Raven's turn to shudder at this disgusting creature who walked the Earth.

"BEAST BOY!" Robin turned around and glared at the yelping Beast Boy, who held his hands palm-up in innocence.

"Don't look at me! Why the heck would I order a piano?! What _is_ a Baby Grand Piano anyway…?" Beast Boy trailed off, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Cyborg?"

Cyborg shook his head.

"Starfire? Eh, never mind…"

Starfire was currently knocking gleefully on one of the boxes.

"Rae-"

Raven glared at him.

"Uh… right." Robin looked at the man, then at the boxes, "Who could have done this?"

Raven snorted suddenly, a very un-Raven-like thing to do.

All the Titans turned to stare at her, including the greasy man.

"I think you're forgetting another person Robin." She grinned wryly.

Robin dropped the clipboard as his eye twitched dangerously.

The other Titans slowly backed away in fear of Robin's temper.

He gritted his teeth, ready to explode when the intercom in the Titan's Tower crackled to life after some feedback.

"Hello hello Titans. I daresay that my packages have been received? Good, good. I was hoping that Ebay's 'delivery within two hours or your money back' would fail. Hah hah hah, that's right Titans. The total number of time it took for the Ebay delivery boy to deliver was two hours and ten minutes. Meaning you guys will have to pay otherwise you'll be involved in some sort of 'huge international Ebay scandal.' Tragic, isn't it? Too bad…" The infamous Phantom's voice changed to a more commanding tone, "Hey, delivery chump. There should be an elevator on your right. Use that for the forklift and all the crates, will ya? Floor Ten, take a left, right, right, left. The Titans will take care of that nasty and rather large bill."

She chuckled as the crates were being put back onto the forklift, and the greasy-delivery boy began driving the forklift to the elevator.

"Revenge is sweet, Titans. Oh so sweet." The intercom crackled and went out.

"Uhh… dude?" Beast Boy asked in a tiny voice, as Robin fumed silently, picking up the clipboard and then screaming, chucking the object into the air, where Cyborg caught it and cautiously flipped the page to where the cost was totaled.

Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire crowded around his shoulders, as all the titans yelped, "TEN-THOUSAND DOLLARS?!"

-------------------

The Phantom happily tapped the Middle C key, seeing if the last key of her new piano worked well.

"Hn. Perfect. Just as I thought."

The packing insulator, which was straw, was scattered everywhere, and several strands of it were stuck into her hair. The wood was splintered and broken, and the hospital wing looked less like a hospital wing than a Woodworks shop, with a large piano in the middle. The vacant beds were all pushed to one side of the room, with canvases near the window, the paint set up on one of the bedside tables.

The mangled and frayed ends of the wire she had used to 'hack' into the Titan's PA system were still crackling after her use. It was a pretty nice job if she did say so herself.

She kicked a few tools out of the way, wincing as the kicking resulted in the bruising of her foot.

"Stupid… tools…" She muttered. She sighed with bliss, and sat down at the bench of the piano. She lovingly ran her fingers over the keys, as a wave of nostalgia washed itself over her.

"What's it been…?" She asked herself sadly, "Seven years…?"

'_Has it really been that long? I can't believe I haven't seen one of these babies for nearly a decade. I wonder if I can still play as well… I remember at my first concert. Mum and Dad were so proud. Lily didn't even listen. She had her Walkman on the whole time… mum and dad were so mad at her…'_

Phantom smiled at her thoughts and memory.

Her right ear twitched at the sounds of pounding metal-clad feet.

She winced. "Whoops. Looks like Robby and the others have finally paid the bill." She chuckled, and glanced at the new trench coat sprawled out on the bed lovingly, before staring down at the black and white keys of the piano.

"I can do it…"

-------------------

"She is so dead! I can't believe she'd do that to us!" Robin's hands were clenched in angry fists, the Titans trailing after him, rather afraid of their leader at the moment.

Starfire was clutching onto the end of Robin's cape, (A/N: April, remember my review for that one fiction of yours…? xD) saying softly, "Robin. Do not fret. The sum of money was very large, but I am sure that the Phantom had a reason for such antics."

"We took her in, fed her, healed her, and what does she do?!" Robin's anger practically oozed out of him, leaving a trail of pure fury.

"I'm not so sure. I like it." Raven commented dryly and smiled, floating alongside the group.

Robin turned and glared at her, stopping suddenly and causing Starfire to run into him.

Raven said nothing but returned the glare with a look of her own.

Robin twitched and turned around again.

They were almost there at the door of the hospital wing, when Beast Boy leapt in front of Robin.

"Dude! Wait! Maybe Star's right! Maybe she does have a reason! It's not like we were using the money anyway…" Beast Boy smiled hopefully, giving him an innocent look.

The spiky haired boy stopped, his nostrils flaring, "We'll see."

He reached towards the sliding door, and as it slid open with a soft SHUSH, the most lyrical piece of music the Titans had probably ever heard (A/N: What kind of music DO they listen to?!) drifted into the hall.

-------------------

'_Wow. This is a lot easier than I thought it would be._'

My hands flew calmly over the keys, slowly at first but then faster and faster till I could hardly tell what I was playing.

'_It's like riding a bike I guess. Not that I ever learned or anything. I was more of a scooter kid anway._'

I smiled weakly, as I looked down at one of my personal favorites as a child, Beethoven's Für Elise.

'_I guess things could turn out better…_'

I reached the ending, the bittersweet finale of Beethoven's finest. It was telling me that again and again I would play. Play this beautiful piece until I could play no more.

'_But then again… they aren't too bad now._'

The music calmly ended, and I smiled as the last chord was played.

"Dude…"

"AH!" I screamed, and literally leaped a couple feet in the air, landing on my feet somewhat weakly.

My eyes rested on the Titans, who were all standing rather awestruck in the doorway. I guess it would have been funny if the life hadn't been scared out of me.

"Marvelous!" Starfire was the second, after Beast Boy, to react, flying into the room with her arms outstretched, stroking the piano affectionately after giving me a wholesome look.

"Never before have I heard such beautiful music! It is even better than my Tameranian folk dance, the Shnarg-bagh!"

"Eh heh heh heh heh… right." I laughed nervously, getting to my feet and looking on helplessly as Starfire stroked my piano.

My face grew hot, and I weakly tried to nudge Starfire off, "Thanks…" I murmured.

"Phantom, when did you learn to play like that?!" Beast Boy exclaimed, running up to me, his face glowing.

"Ummm, well, you know… it was easy. I told you guys I learned when I was a kid…" I mumbled, staring at my toes.

'_Gawd, I hate this… No wonder I never stood out as much as Lily…_' I thought, turning my pale eyes to Beast Boy's wondering face.

"Oh yeah! Well that was awesome… anyway!" He grinned.

"That was pretty good. Even though it cost us over ten-thousand dollars." Robin and the other Titans came into the room, his arms crossed over his chest.

I grinned wryly, my attitude back, "Right. Well, you know. And eye for an eye… You keep me locked up in this stupid 'hospital' and I simply decide to make you guys pay for it."

I shrugged, and walked over to the bed and pulled on my jacket. "Seemed fair to me…"

"Well… don't do it again." Robin ended his threat rather lamely.

"Right." I rolled my eyes.

"And DON'T leave this room." He glared at me after seeing the status of the room.

"Okay." I shrugged, and turned to my piano to wipe off the fingerprints left by Starfire.

The Titans turned and left the room, leaving only Beast Boy and I.

"Ummm… yeah. That was… really good. I can't believe that you can play like that, I mean, not that I didn't think you could do it, but I did think you could, I just didn't think you could play something as good as that, but you can still… well… play…" Beast Boy trailed off… rubbing the back of his head weakly staring at my back as I used my arm to wipe off the smudges.

I stared at my reflection in the black shiny wood, smiling as I noticed the look of Beast Boy behind me.

"Thanks." I stood up, and turned at looked at him.

He smiled weakly closing his eyes.

Stupid dork. He had such a weird smile. And what was with the weird canine tooth?

'_But he really is… a good guy. I guess. He comforted me when I woke up from that coma thing. Raven told me that he was always there, trying to get 'guard duty' when I was awake. He's taller than me too. I guess he really is kinda… cute._'

I shook my head. What was I thinking? He was a great guy and all… but still.

I started to walk towards the easels and paint area, hoping Beast Boy would get a clue and leave.

"Hey… Phantom."

He trotted after me, like some sort of puppy.

"What?" I stared at the blank canvas, holding a paintbrush already dipped in black.

"I… I guess this is kinda weird and all… you know." I saw him glance at the floor, shuffling his feet.

"What is?" I asked him, kinder this time.

"Well… how all of this turned out. I mean… this is just some kinda theory that popped into my head one day and well maybe… Maybe if this were a completely different life and you never met Slade and all… maybe we could have actually been… friends." He smiled at me, his green eyes sympathetic.

I relaxed, holding the still dripping paintbrush in my hands, where it plopped gently on the floor with a soft, PLOP PLOP.

"Beast Boy…" I shook my head gently, "How do you come up with these things? I know you had a weird mind and all but this…?" I narrowed my eyes, staring into his.

"But Phantom!" He grabbed my hands suddenly, causing me to throw the paintbrush onto the blank canvas, staining a large part of it black. He pulled them closer to himself, and I found myself giving in.

"Don't you ever think-"

"Yes. I do. Quite often sometimes." I grinned weakly, "Beast Boy… you're a great guy, you know that. But look at me."

I pulled out of his grasp, and walked out a few feet, extending my coat and showing the full extent of my body. My ears twitched attentively, my tail gently sweeping the straw bits across the floor.

"I'm a thief. Born and bred. I did have a home, a loving family, and a great future. But it seems like that's all second in place now…"

I turned my back to him, and stared at the piano, "I can't stop stealing. Slade awakened something in me, something that I never thought I could love! He was right… when I told him one day when I was young. I said that it was so exhilarating. He had nodded, and said 'Yes. It is. It's quite addicting. I know you're going to love it.' "

Beast Boy began walking towards me, when I twirled suddenly to stare at him, "He was right. I may have escaped his grasp, but it's like he never really left. He's still inside me, a little of Slade. I can't escape the thrill of stealing."

I laughed, my eyes brimming with wetness, "I guess you could say I'm a kleptomaniac. One who is obsessed with stealing. Can't stop. You get it."

I sighed, and took rubbed my temples, holding back the tears, "I'm sorry Beast Boy."

It was silent for a moment.

I heard footsteps cross the floor, and I heard his gentle breathing, as he put an arm around me, holding me close.

"I don't care Phantom. I don't care about those things. We can work it out, I know it. I just know… that I love you." He whispered into my ear.

I froze, stunned. '_He says he loves me. I haven't heard that in so long. My family was right. They always will love me. And now… I know they are. With Beast Boy._'

I put an hand into the crook of Beast Boy's arm, which was across my shoulders, "I think… I do too."

-------------------

Raven was meditating on the roof of the Titan's Tower. The night sky calmed her, she always liked the darkness and peace of the night. Her body rocked up and down slowly, her hood down and cape swirling out behind her.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos. Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."

Her mind was in a state of total peace.

Malice, and anger. Hatred and blackness. Yet control despite the strange emotions.

Though something lingered in the back of her mind.

She stopped, gently tapping onto her feet.

"He's coming. Soon."

A sudden gust of wind blew itself around her, as her cape twirled around her body, under complete control of the wind.

"Slade."

Her violet eyes shot open, and glared at the bright lights of Jump City.

-------------------(A/N: Gee, this is a long chapter! Don't worry, it's almost over! Bear with me for a couple more paragraphs! :) )-------------------

It was morning. The Titans were slightly more tense than usual, after what had happened yesterday.

Cyborg was busy making waffles, much to Beast Boy's dismay.

Beast Boy, at the moment, was staring dazed at the Gamestation's screen, a distant look across his face.

'_I can't believe she actually… loves me…_' He thought happily, and blushed at the memory of last night.

"Friend Beast Boy…" Starfire poked him in the shoulder, "What in the name of Shnack-Arr-Barg are you thinking about? That is but the fiftieth time I have beaten you this morning! Friend Beast Boy…" She poked him harder, "Beast Boy…" She knocked on his head while his face and body remained unchanging in their positions, "BEAST BOY!" She pulled his ear to her mouth and shouted as hard as she could.

"Wah—What? Someone call my name?" Beast Boy perked up, his head looking around, rubbing his ear, which hurt for some reason.

"You all right?" Raven raised an eyebrow, putting her book on her lap. She had informed Robin of the strange presence she had felt last night, at which Robin only nodded grimly and said he was but a fraction closer of finding where Slade could be lurking.

"What? Oh yeah, fine…" He murmured, and gasped and yelped slightly at the words flashing on the screen: 'STARFIRE: 50 BEAST BOY: 0!'

The titans exchanged strange looks between them, their usual hyper-active green friend dazed and distant this morning.

Cyborg shrugged and began piling waffles on everyone's plates.

-------------------

Phantom was fondly painting the former blank canvas, piling paint onto different corners and empty spaces. Her face and arm were smudged with different colours of paint.

Faster and faster, she got excited and floated up in amazement, gasping as her hand and paintbrush went _through_ the canvas instead of _on_ it.

"Hey… what d'ya know? I'm strong enough to phase through now…" She smiled happily to herself, floating down to the ground and landing gently.

She put her palette and paintbrush down, and held her right hand in front of her, snapping her fingers.

A blue spark flashed before puffing out into smoke.

She brought her hand to her chest in a fist, muttering distinctly, "Curses…"

-------------------

"ALERT! ALERT! CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN CENTRAL CITY! CRIMINAL IDENICIFATION: UNKNOWN!" The mechanized alarm rang out. The Titans dropped what they were doing, looking at the large monitor that appeared instead of the Gamestation.

It indicated a red flashing zone, while the sound of the explosions finally reached the Tower.

"Titans! Go!" Robin got up with the rest of the Titans, all of them running and or floating towards the main door.

"What about me?" A shadow floated down from the ceiling, blocking the large doorway.

"Phantom…?" Robin asked, as the shadow turned around, pushing a pair of sun glasses onto her nose, grinning slyly.

"Shyeah. Who else? I can bet anything that's Slade. And I can also bet that you're not kicking his butt with out me." She pointed her index finger as though shooting a gun, and nodded her head.

The titans were silent for a moment, then Robin grinned and nodded, "Sure. Just don't steal the show."

* * *

Ooo, what a clever line for Robin, eh?  
Wow, this is my best and longest chapter! Please review and tell me your comments! :) 


	13. Chapter 13: Where the heck is Slade?

Wow… I actually started this chapter more or less sooner than usual after I uploaded the last. Oh well. Anyway, thanks so much for reading this far, I congratulate you! :)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Teen Titans. I only own Phantom, and this plot line. If I did, however, don't you think the whole team would be protected by copyright laws that forbade any sorts of morons to attempt to Role Play with a 'relative,' or, dare I say it, 'lover' of the original team members?!

You don't want to see it… Trust me. Stupid despies… --'

I'm thinking of changing the title, because it's sort of misleading. O.o I'm not sure. Tell me what you think though!

As always, _italicized _words indicate either a flashback or thoughts. You should know the drill since you're read this far. :P

* * *

The sounds of screeching tires and the growl of a motorcycle roared through the streets of the already hectic city. 

Cyborg was driving his little 'baby' after some modifications from a more recent battle, which caused half the car to be melted to mere twisted scrap metal.

Phantom was sitting sullenly in shot gun, leaning against her elbow that was sitting on the windowsill, and staring rather miffed out the window.

'_I still don't see why I have to ride in the stupid car. Sheesh. I know I can only hover when I become phased, but still. Curses…_' She thought irritably, and stared at the other Titans outside the vehicle.

Robin was pulling up beside the T-Car on his R-Cycle, (A/N: What is their obsession with Capital Letters?!) his cape flapping and twisting out beside him.

Raven and Starfire were both flying speedily near the two vehicles, each concentrating on the task ahead.

Beast Boy, on the other hand, was a large green bird; a raven to be precise. He was flying above the T-Car.

Phantom sighed and leaned back in her seat, drumming her fingers on the sides of her arms, looking rather sour. It had all started out so well, when they had left the tower. But then she got stuck in the 'Car.' Ooo. Fancy-schmancy name for some lame scraps of metal stuck together by a amateur. But of course she wouldn't tell Cyborg that. Wouldn't want him to get angry, right?

-----------------------

After some fast minutes of driving/cycling/flying, the Titans reached their destination. Which, as it turned out, was an abandoned subway station. How original, eh?

"How original." Phantom commented dryly, squatting down to get a better look before standing back up. She had phased through the door, and the ground, landing safely underground on the now deactivated tracks, finding it a lot easier than the extreme time-consuming task of turning the handle, opening the door, and walking down the stairs.

The other titans got off their assorted vehicles, after Cyborg locked the car, and then the Titans jogged/floated (depending on their powers) down to where the currently retired thief stood.

"Beggars can't be choosers. We wanted to find Slade, and we did. No thanks to you." Robin grinned wryly.

Phantom turned and glared at him, muttering something inaudible under her breath.

The other titans stared at each other, and shrugged. Cyborg at the moment had turned his shoulder flashlight on, to lend some light.

Robin nodded to Cyborg who then returned the nod, checking his arm for statistics.

"Yep. The signal's faint, but it's definitely a vital sign. Something's alive down there. And I bet all of us can guess who it is." He looked down the tracks.

Robin nodded. "Slade." He jumped down next to Phantom, and turned to look at Cyborg again. "Which way?"

"That way. Er, the way, that is, that you're facing." He grinned sheepishly.

"That would be North."

"Errr, right."

"Okay Titan-hey. Where's Phantom?" Robin looked around, searching for girl.

Raven floated down, along with Starfire. Beast Boy leapt down and landed on his feet squatting. Cyborg jumped down as well, with a reassuring CLUNK sound.

"_Hey, Titans. You guys coming or what?_" The large, eerily blue panther turned its fierce amber eyes on the group.

Beast Boy got up, and grinned wryly, before turning into a leopard and running down to meet the cat, which was by far much larger than him.

The two jungle cats turned and looked impatiently at the remaining Titans, before Cyborg ran after the group with a loud, "BOO-YAH!"

Starfire smiled and flew down the abandoned tunnel, starbolts lighting her hands for additional light. "Come, let us go and find Slade!" She called, pausing in mid-air and turning to face Robin and Raven, the only two left.

Robin smiled, and ran down the tracks as well, until only Raven was left. The group ahead had already started running again, so it was unlikely that she'd lose sight of them anytime. They were basically a huge group of neon lights flashing, 'Look at us Slade, we're coming! And we don't know the meaning of the word 'stealth!''

Raven rolled her eyes and floated slowly but surely, until all the Titans were running down what they hoped was the road to victory.

-----------------------

Many hours later, in the late hours of the night going on morning, the later citizens of Jump City were finally going to sleep. Little did they know that they may not be able to sleep soundly for much longer.

The Titans had eventually slowed down, the beeping of Cyborg's arm; which indicated a stronger reading of the vital sign spotted hours earlier, starting to go faster and faster, until a growling ghost-panther caused him to rethink the volume he had put on the device.

They had found themselves going through secret passageways, oh, miles upon miles perhaps of secret passageways built into what seemed in every nook and cranny. Sometimes they had to turn around completely and blast through rusty door hinges to make their way through.

Soon they found themselves in the deepest part of the Sewer System, those who were lucky floating precariously above the knee high sewer water. Ahhh, the life of a hero, no?

"I never thought I'd be stuck in this rat-hole again. Gawd, this smell is killing my nose…" Phantom muttered in the back of the non-flying line, behind Cyborg, Robin, and Beast Boy. In that order.

'_I could phase through and float,_' she thought, glancing jealously up at the flying forms of the two female Titans. But that'd take too much of her energy away, and she didn't want to waste it. The crap in the sludge-water was going to take _ages_ to get out of her tail though.

"We should be getting closer." Robin piqued up from ahead of her.

"He said that thirty minutes ago…" Beast Boy murmured out of the corner of his mouth.

Phantom grinned, glad the light of Cyborg's shoulder-light and Starfire's star bolts faded before it reached her eyes. It also hid the grin on her face from Beast Boy's remark.

The rest of the trip was in silence, though 'the rest of the trip' doesn't do much to describe their one-way journey because,

"Dead end." Cyborg spoke, his light shining on a grimy, dirty wall that looked as though it hadn't seen the sunlight in a couple hundred years.

"Look's that way. 'Course, we haven't had that problem before." Robin grinned, remembering the walls that had crumbled so easily earlier.

"I thought you'd never ask." Cyborg smiled, swinging his robotic arm to aim his sonic cannon at the wall. Without warning, he shot the bright blue laser blast at the wall, only to have it come ricocheting back two seconds later.

"Raven!"

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" A large black bubble covered the group as the blast simply blew into the makeshift shield instead of the teenage heroes.

"Nice work Raven. We would have been toast for sure." Robin spoke, sending a reproachful look at Cyborg.

"What?! You practically asked me to blast it." He replied angrily, waving his cybernetic arm at the impervious wall.

The Boy Wonder looked as though he were about to say something when Phantom sighed irritably and grabbed Beast Boy's hand, dragging him up to the front of the group.

"Look, guys. You seem to be forgetting who you're with here." She took a deep breath before continuing, in a very slow voice.

"Me Phantom," She pointed at herself with her free hand, "Me go through walls," she pointed at the solid mortar wall, "Me take Titans with her." She indicated Beast Boy at the end of her hand then gestured at the other Titans.

"Pick a hand, any hand. Everyone needs to be connected physically somehow for me to take all of you." She said nonchalantly, looking back to the wall and pretty much ignoring the Titans, gazing at the wall with a thoughtful stance.

"I am not holding Beast Boy's hand." Raven muttered.

--------

After some debate, the line ended up Phantom, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Starfire, Robin, and Raven. Needless to say, this ordeal had taken some time.

"Some team members you guys are…" Phantom muttered out of the corner of her mouth, adjusting her hat with her free hand.

"All right Titans. This'll feel strange at first, but you need to hold on no matter what. If you let go you'll most likely spend the rest of your life in mid-step, trapped in that wall." She said this with an air of importance in her voice, continuing only after she muttered about how "unless of course this wall is electrified in which case I can't guarantee any of your safeties…"

"What was that?" Cyborg raised his eyebrow hearing parts of Phantom's speech.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Anyway, somehow you all stay connected when 'phased through' so hold tightly onto your… partner's hand. Or whatever you're holding onto." She grinned wryly.

"Can you just take us through?" Raven asked in a monotone voice.

"Yes, I would love to experience this 'phase through' ordeal! It sounds similar to what the humans call 'the high' when taking in large and deadly amounts of plants known as cocaine!" Starfire smiled happily.

"Uhhh, Starfire? Remind me after this for you to never watch the Discovery Channel again." Robin said quietly to disperse the offended stare of Phantom.

"Whatever." And without another word Phantom activated the ghostly powers within her and took a step into the wall and dragging the Titans with her.

"Hey-"

"Could've-"

"Given-"

"Us-"

"Some warning." Raven finished the outrages of the Titans when they found themselves floating through the wall, a very interesting experience they would not likely forget soon.

Phantom pulled out of the wall flipping the sunglasses on her nose at a downward angle, to allow her cat-like eyesight take over.

The Titans followed, each with a look of amazement mixed with puzzlement on their faces to find themselves facing dark.

A whole lotta dark in every direction.

Phantom sniffed once or twice, her small nose twitching with familiar but unwelcome scents, and looked up.

-------

All at once, the fluorescent lights of the complex blazed with light, similar to those at a football field.

Phantom yelped in agony, falling to her knees, her hands releasing her grip on the Titans, leaving them to become solid again, to rub her eyes to rid them of the dancing black lights exploding in front of her vision.

The Titans each held a hand in front of their eyes to block the light, each readying for battle with a spare hand. Cyborg's arm expanded in the cannon. Beast Boy morphed into a green grizzly bear, on paw blocking its dense vision. Robin took some birdarangs out of his pocket, ready to be thrown. Raven pulled a shield of black in front of her body. And each of Starfire's hands glew with the emerald light of Starbolts.

"Welcome, Titans. To my humble abode." Slade's slow and menacing laughter filled the chamber as the bright and large lights revealed an army of Slade Soldiers ready to attack.

--------

Dun Dun Dun. Muahaha, I like this cliffy. :) Sorry if it was a bit short, but I thought this was an appropriate place to pause.

Review please, and I hope you liked the chapter! The next should be coming soon, depending on how the penguins decide to feed me. o.O


	14. Chapter 14: Too Many Emotions

Whew. Chapter Fourteen. Finally! I'm afraid the penguins were holding me against their will, thus the slow progress of this chapter.

Anyway, never thought I'd make it this far! Thanks to all my reviewers for keeping me going! Not much to say, except I hope you enjoy this chapter! And no worries, I have all the chapters up to chapter eighteen planned out at this point!

Review when you're through. :)

* * *

"Slade! How'd you know we were coming!" Robin roared, trembling from the effort of holding himself back. If he let go of his emotions and attacked, it'd be suicide for all of them.

Phantom writhed in agony on the floor, the light literally burning her skin and sight. She was basically useless at this point. The green bear got down on all fours and sniffed her cautiously, a worried look on his large face.

"I'm fine… Beast Boy." Phantom muttered, trembling as she stood up, fumbling for her sunglasses and slipping them over her eyes.

"Well, Titans and former apprentice. It appears that you are stuck in my trap. But however will you escape?" Slade asked mockingly, his position on a high platform a distance from where the Titans and Phantom were surrounded.

"Starfire." Robin whispered to his teammate.

"What is it?" Starfire responded in a small voice.

"Can you hit him with one of your starbolts? Even if we're destroyed after he is, we would have saved the city and possibly the world from his evil." He responded.

The other Titans sent him looks of dumbfounded ness.

"Robin," Cyborg began, "We're ready for it."

Robin grinned, looking at the faces of his teammates. Each was set in a face of grim confirmation.

"I shall try Robin – " Starfire said, cut off by a chortling Phantom.

"You guys are crazy. You really think that Slade would allow that to happen?" Phantom turned to where Slade stood, "Isn't that right, Slade?"

Even though you couldn't see his mouth, you could almost see his mouth curl into a horrid grin. "Too true Phantom. You know me almost too well. So I have a proposal for all of you: Surrender."

"WHAT! You must be kidding, Slade." Robin yelled, outraged at his arrogance.

_TSEEW!_

A blast of red light, that of a laser, shot the ground at Robin's feet, causing all the Titans to form a tighter circle, as the robots closed in.

"Robin, I'm ashamed. You should know that I don't kid."

_TSEEW! TSEEW!_

This time, the lasers came closer, and the robots even nearer.

Suddenly all the Titans felt helpless, a feeling which didn't happen often. And they didn't like it.

"Will you promise not to hurt them?"

"What?" Beast Boy morphed to his former green self, and stared at Phantom.

"If you promise not to hurt them I'll come back to serve as your apprentice; forever and I'll never complain about it ever again!" Phantom called again.

"Phantom you don't have to – "

" – I know what I have to do, Beast Boy." She cut him off, giving him an unreadable look.

"But - "

" – Very well. I… accept your terms Phantom. Please, come this way." Slade said smugly, indicating with a sweep of his arms the path that opened as soldiers stepped back. An open line led to a staircase, which was revealed as another large light flicked on.

"Phantom what're you doing!" Robin yelled, taking a step toward the retreating Phantom before a laser stopped him, a square shot in the chest, which sent him reeling backward until Cyborg caught him.

"Robin, are you all right?" They lowered him to the ground, and Starfire looked over their unconscious leader.

Phantom stopped from her spot on the first step and looked back at them, having heard the laser being shot, and gasped, turning to run to them, when she jerked forward suddenly, as the step moved forward, as part of a moving staircase.

"Slade!" Phantom yelled from her spot that took her steadily toward him. "You promised not to hurt them!"

"True, and I didn't. Robin is just unconscious. Lucky for him." He responded coldly.

The staircase-turned-escalator stopped at the high platform where Slade was, and Phantom hopped off, only to be jerked forward by another moving platform to Slade's side.

Slade curled an arm around Phantom, resting his hand on her shoulder.

She tried not to shudder with disgust.

The Titans looked up at Slade and Phantom, both standing strong, Phantom's face emotionless.

Raven glared at her. It figured. She wasn't strong enough. She was just weak, like all the other pathetic fools that worked under Slade's grasp. Phantom was just another villain now. She didn't resist, didn't fight under Slade's grip. She was pathetic, groveling and weak. Scores would be settled.

"And now, we see what happens when one is too trusting." Slade whispered to Phantom.

She looked up at him suddenly, eyes wide with fear.

The floor on which the Titans stood – and, in Robin's case, lay – glew brightly suddenly.

It crackled with light and electricity as the Titans were disabled with an electric panel. They all screamed before the energy overloaded them and they fell to the ground without another thought.

-...-

"Slade!" I broke free of his grasp, and whirled behind him, gesturing with my arm.

"What did you do to them? You promised! You promised you wouldn't hurt them!" I hissed. Every part of my body was trembling in anger. He would pay.

So I knew.

Slade was in front of me, stealthily and suddenly. He put a hand to my cheek, and said menacingly, "Those who defy me suffer."

From his cheek came an electric shock like that of what the Titans suffered. I was unconscious before I could reply, and fell forward into Slade's open arms.

-...-

"Beast Boy."

"I'm here."

"Raven."

"Here."

"Starfire."

"I am shaken, though quite present."

"Cyborg?"

"I'm here, man."

"Then we're all accounted for."

"Accounted for where? My sensors aren't picking up anything… Man! How did Slade outthink us this time! It's impossible! We were completely spontaneous! He couldn't have got us! Argh!" Cyborg punched the side of the small five x five room he was contained in. There were no windows, no doors. It was impossible to get out. He stared glumly at the dirty, brown walls. It was impossible to tell what they were made of. If his punches couldn't break through here, then there was always…

"Hey!"

"What is it, Cyborg?" Robin asked from his unknown position.

"Someone disabled my sonic cannon! How could they!" It hit him suddenly, "Oh man… That electric blast must have screwed up my circuits… I can't use anything!"

"Relax Cyborg, we're all in the same position. Someone took my utility belt," Robin tried to calm his friend down, "and my punches have no effect on this stupid cell." Robin paced a few more times before sitting down on a barrel placed for some unknown reason.

"I can't call my powers," Raven piqued up again, from where she sat in her brightly lit, whitewashed room. "Something's jamming my brainwaves. I can't think clearly, let alone meditate to use my powers."

"I am in the same position, friends." Starfire floated up and down in her own cell, which was dimly lit like Cyborg's and Robin's. "And I can not break free. My starbolts are simply bouncing off the walls and… well… exploding elsewhere." Starfire rubbed her behind gently.

"Nrgh! Argh!" The dust rocked down from Beast Boy's cell. Again, and again he tackled the walls, determined to break them down and escape.

"Beast Boy! Beast Boy, cut it out!" Robin slammed his fist on the wall on his current right-hand side, where he thought Beast Boy was.

"Can't – ARGH – do – NGRHH – that – Ahh!" Beast Boy stumbled to the floor, and transformed into a green wolf, snarling and angry. It was the biggest animal he could morph into in the small room he was contained in. The biggest animal that was ferocious, that is. He had already tried morphing into a mole and things of that, only to find the floor was made of the same stuff as the walls, so it was useless. There were no open cracks; nothing. He was trapped.

The howl of a wolf ricocheted off the walls of his cell as again and again he rammed the rock-hard walls.

The other Titans were silent, listening to their friend's vain attempts.

Raven was silent, her hood up to shield her eyes from the blinding, open and bare light bulb swinging above her head. '_Beast Boy doesn't understand. It's hopeless. Phantom went back to Slade. Slade is going to take over the city. And now we're all trapped. It's… hopeless…_'

Robin listened to the repeated poundings of his friend, and put his face in his hands, '_I've lost to him. I've lost to Slade. And there's nothing I can do about it. We've lost._'

Starfire floated in a small circle in her cell, the same thought echoing over and over in her head, '_What will become of us now?_'

Cyborg punched a few keys in his arm, and then slammed it against the nearest wall in anger. '_It's no use. I can't access any of my systems. Who knows how long it's going to be offline… Maybe forever…_'

"Arhhh!" Beast Boy flew back from the wall that had apparently not suffered any damage, and breathed heavily, back in his normal form. He lay spread-eagled on the ground, his whole body aching. His right shoulder, his predominant tackling unit, throbbed again and again, each time refreshed with new pain

"I… can't… give up… now…" His chest heaved with the effort to breathe, which incidentally wasn't in his body's favor.

"Beast Boy, you need to stop. You're going to kill yourself." Came Cyborg's call from somewhere nearby.

"I… can't…" The Titan responded.

"And why not! It's hopeless. It's all hopeless. We can't escape. We've lost." Robin spoke.

"And what will become of us now? Who knows what terrible things Slade will do to us and the world…" Starfire murmured, just loud enough for the others to hear.

"We can't use anything that were in. We're stuck." Cyborg said glumly.

"And Phantom certainly seems to have given up hope. So why can't you?" Raven hissed at Beast Boy.

Beast Boy leapt to his feet, and raged, "What are you talking about? Didn't you see her?"

"Yes, I did. And I saw no effort to resist what-so-ever." Raven replied coldly.

"She did that so she wouldn't get us killed!"

"Yeah, that worked well."

"Ngrh… What is your problem? Do you have a problem with trusting her or something? Why the heck would she want to back to Slade! She hated it there! She was HAPPY to get away from him! It was probably the hardest thing in the whole world for her to go back; and to save our lives!"

The others were silent, and all that could be heard was the slow breathing of Beast Boy getting his nerves back. They were trapped, and divided with their own thoughts…

-...-

"Ungh…" I slowly cracked my eyes open to blackness.

"Where… am I?" I tried to lift my limbs from the position they were in only to find they were strapped, and held taut.

"What the – Why can't I move!" I tried to move my head only to find that my neck was strapped down as well, and lifting my head up lead to a shortness of breath. I think I was in a chair of some sort, you know, like the kinds they have in dentists' offices.

"Because, dear Phantom, I can't have you running off on me." Slade stepped to the side of 'my' chair as a bright light flicked on.

I hissed, realizing I had yet again lost my sunglasses, leaving my eyes open to the lucid beam of light coming down.

"What is it with you and large, bright, blinding lights?" I asked sarcastically, despite the pending fact that my life was on the line. Which it probably was, as I considered later.

"Clever Phantom. But your sharp tongue won't get you out on this, I hope realize." Slade towered over me, a monster inspecting his prey.

Incidentally, he also blocked the light blinding me, so I slowly cracked my eyelids open again.

"So, seriously, 'Oh dear Master,' why am I here?" I hissed, my ears against the back of my head.

"Simple, really. If you recall you escaped my grasp numerous times, and you have become quite rebellious." Slade stepped away for a moment, causing me to shut my eyes from the dancing black dots that exploded in front of them. He took, slow, leisurely steps around my holding device.

"Yeah, so?" I asked dryly.

"So I need to get a hold of you somehow. 'But how'? I had wondered. 'Simple.' I had responded to myself. Since your memories were causing you to rethink most of my commands, I simply must get rid of them."

"What!" I instinctively tried to twitch my tail, only to find that it was stuck underneath me.

"You're kidding me. You can't do that. No one can. No one can get rid of memories. You're insane. You've finally cracked." I glared at Slade, who had stopped at my side again, staring at me coldly with his one eye.

"Maybe I am. But I have found a way."

Footsteps approached from the abyss of darkness surrounding Slade and I on this island of light. I craned my neck, sacrificing my breathing time trying to see what was coming.

A mechanized robot of Slade, a clone in every way came into the ring of light from the lights above Slade and I. He held his arms out in front of him, holding a platter full of… stuff. I'm not sure what it held because as soon as it came into view, Slade pushed me down on my back.

He held his hand overtop my throat slightly, the pressure a little tense. I glared at the only thing I could see; Slade's horrid face outlined in light above me. I'll never forget that sight, nor what was to come.

"What're you doing? Gachk!" I coughed, as Slade's hand pushed down a little harder, causing me to concentrate more for breath.

I became desperate, thrashing this way and that, only to find it useless. I was strapped down, with no means of escape. I tried accessing my powers, only to receive a light electric shock instead. I was trapped like a rat, which was unusual for me. I didn't like it.

"Let me… ah… GO!" I yelled, and gasped for breath as it came harder and harder to me.

"Sorry, Phantom. I have plans for you yet, whether you like it or not. Don't worry, no pesky memories of anything of your past life will be remembered after I'm through." Slade's voice stayed even and calm, as I noticed his other hand now held a deadly looking needle, its insides filled with a nauseous-looking green substance. He held it high over his head, and I screamed before he injected it inside me. I couldn't help it, I was so scared.

'_Oh God, no. Please, no! I can't let this happen! I can't forget Mom! Or Dad! Or Lily!_' I closed my eyes, trembling with fear.

'_Or the Titans…_' Each face passed before me, as I knew I was doing something that I would never forget. …No, I would. My scream grew louder as – ever so slowly, the needle came toward my temple.

'_Beast Boy…_' My eyes shot open as the needle entered my head and I knew no more.


	15. Notice

I regret to say this but sadly I've decided to currently discontinue this story.

It's really because the reason I started "Titan's Shadow" was for my made up I used in Role Plays. It was a ways of explaining her past, but sadly I realized that it wasn't really what I wanted at all.

Perhaps sometime later I'll re-write it in a better way, but not in the near future. So, thanks to all of you faithful reviewers.

-AuroranWings S


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